BOARDS are going up around the Civic Centre today as the borough council prepares to close its doors for the final time.

Workmen began putting up the wooden hoarding yesterday while staff packed up their desks and equipment to move to the new offices in Plaza West, which officially opens on Monday.

The 15-storey building was designed by architect firm Robert Matthew, Johnson-Marshall & Partners and opened in 1976.

The main reception at the Civic Centre will close for business at 3.30pm this afternoon.

But after 38 years the once-grand home of the borough council is a shadow of its former glory and workers will spend the next 15 to 18 months removing the large amounts of asbestos before it is demolished.

Scaffolding and temporary metals bars hold up parts of the building while the 12th floor has been out-of-bounds for around a year because of the risk of a ceiling collapse.

The new office in Bridge Street was selected after a tendering process which began in January 2011 and have been refurbished ready for the move this week. Spread over three floors it occupies 45% less office space than the Civic Centre and Fountain House, where the council also leases office space.

Council leader Jo Lovelock said the move is four-times cheaper than maintaining the Civic Centre and stressed it offers the best value of money for tax payers.

She added: “When the Council moves, the Civic Centre will be shut down and demolished.

“The site the Civic Centre sits on will form part of a major regeneration of what is an important part of the Town Centre and the Council last year appointed Kier as its regeneration partner to deliver that.”

The Hexagon will remain open for business as usual.