The Public offering short-term contracts

Offices at controversial Black Country arts centre The Public are to be let out on short-term contracts in a bid to attract more businesses to the building.

In two years, the £72 million New Street centre has only attracted two tenants to the "lily pad" offices. Now, a new marketing strategy has been drawn up to target small companies.

Renting the "lily pads" on a daily, weekly or even hourly basis are all options being considered.

Sandwell Council's audit committee will receive an update on progress at the West Bromwich centre on Monday.

A report to the committee says a meeting has been held with letting agents to agree a marketing strategy for the vacant space.

The Public's chief executive Linda Saunders said today: "We have let one of the lily pads, but we are also letting some of the space for meetings and short-term lettings.

"Transform Sandwell have booked space for two months for training.

"We are doing a bit of a mixed economy with the top floor. We are working with estate agents to start marketing the commercial end of it.

"The lily pads were originally there for people like new companies or people who were looking to set up office space or small creative industries who weren't likely to want to operate on their own.

"In terms of the lily pads our strategy is much more complex, we are also looking at, and have been using them as meeting space. The other things that we are exploring are things like managed work space for small start-up companies or agile working where people need somewhere they can hire a desk and phone where they can set up their laptop for a couple of hours. We are just exploring that with potential partners at the moment."

The centre has recently opened an £800,000 conference suite in a bid to get more people through the doors.