Whitchurch Civic Centre revamp work moves closer

The plans to redesign the centre will go out to tender within weeks, and work is still on schedule to be complete by February next year.

Neil Willcox, commissioning manager for Shropshire Council and project manager for the Civic Centre revamp, said a contractor will be appointed in August.

The 1970s building, in High Street, will have a new facade, internal alterations to its foyer, interior decoration to the main hall and market hall, and replacement heating, lighting and ventilation.

Mr Willcox said the work is moving forward: "The plans will go out to tender in the second week in June. We are working our hardest to try to achieve that. The time table evolves and changes so often.

"It is a huge milestone in the project because it becomes real after that, when we start engaging with contractors and quoting prices.

"It has all been design and consultation until now. It is exciting."

Phase one of the project is expected to cost £684,000 with funding from the Market Towns Revitalisation Programme, Whitchurch Town Council and Sainsbury's as part of the deal to build a store in the town.

Plans have already been scaled back in an effort to deliver the project within budget.

Improvements to the stage area, bar and a linking corridor were all scrapped at the last minute.

But Mr Willcox could not confirm that the project will not end up costing more than had been set aside.

"We are going out to tender with a project within the funding that is available," he said.

"It is only when contractors tell us what they think they will be able to offer that we will know about price.

"We might be pleasantly surprised and tenders will come in below budget or hopefully not the opposite."

But the plans have not been without opposition. At a meeting of Whitchurch Town Council earlier this month Councillor John Ebbs asked for a working party to be set up re-examine the plans and suspend any physical work until the committee had reported back.

But Councillor Ebbs, a resident who began a petition against the proposals last year, got no support from other members.

Mr Willcox said he and his team were "very relieved that nothing came of that". Work is expected to start in the summer and be complete by mid- January.