Entering and leaving the Council House

Entrance

Council house

An accessible ramp with a handrail is located on the left side of the building when looking at the entrance face on.

Council house exterior ramp face on

There are also handrails located on the steps to the front and right side of the building. There are 6 steeper steps to the right side:

Exterior steps

There are 5 steps when approaching the entrance from the middle and 4 steps (without a handrail) when approaching from the left next to the ramp.

Reception, fire exits and assembly points

As you enter the building there are two sets of automatic glass doors before you enter reception.

Council house reception desk left 

The doors do not open automatically before 8am and your ID card needs to be scanned to open the second set of automatic doors. The ID badge scanner is on the wall on the right as you pass through the first set of automatic doors.

Key card scanner in the council house

Fire exits and assembly points

In case of fire or other emergency, the assembly point location is across the road and on the grassed area to the front of the main entrance.

Grass area council house exterior

Fire exits are located along the three main internal staircases that provide access to all floors and terminate at a single ground floor exit.

Fire exit double doors

There is an alternative means of escape from the first floor to the rear courtyard. Upper floors have access to an external fire escape which terminates in the rear courtyard. The second floor office has a roof exit across a gantry to the council chambers.

There are fire exits at either end of the Diamond Rooms corridor, however the exit at the back of the Diamond Room corridors includes 19. The Council House reception exit is fully accessible for anyone who cannot use steps.

Evacuation chairs are located at the end of the diamond room corridor and are mounted to the wall on the left.

Yellow and blue evacuation chairs

There are two more evacuation chairs down two additional steps.

Yellow evacuation chairs

Regular fire alarm tests take place at 9.30 am on a Wednesday.

First aid

First aid boxes are available at the end of the diamond room corridor and are mounted to the wall on the left.