Bid to use Bridgnorth's Westgate building for the community fails

But campaigners say all is not lost with regard to the Westgate site in Bridgnorth and they could still play a part in any plans for its future.

The Bridgnorth Community Group hoped to raise £1 million through various grants to keep the building – the former home of Bridgnorth District Council – for employment use rather than see it be demolished and replaced with homes.

They wanted to see the building listed as a community asset – meaning it could be managed by community organisations and used for employment or recreation.

But the group found out today that Shropshire Council had turned down its application and the "asset would not be listed". Paul Passant, who helped form the community group, said members still hoped to work with any future housing trust on the site.

Shropshire Council also confirmed the group could still submit an offer for the building and land if it produced a viable business plan.

Mr Passant said: "The plan is to still keep the building as some sort of community hub, with possible social housing around it.

"We had been waiting six weeks since putting in our community asset transfer but in that time we have been contacted by a housing trust about working with them on any future project.

"The community right to buy has gone but the trust will still be interested in what we have to say.

"It's good all our plans might still be looked into, especially keeping Westgate as a community facility, perhaps with some form of social housing around it."

More than 1,000 signatures were collected to keep the Westgate building in Bridgnorth as a community asset. Residents formed the Bridgnorth Community Group in direct response to the county council's plans to turn the former district council and Shropshire Council building into homes.

Councillors also backed outline plans to demolish Westgate to make way for homes during a meeting in January but with the proviso that all options for the site remained opened.

A spokesman for Shropshire Council said if the community group worked up a business plan it could still submit an offer.

He said: "The Community Right to Bid process gives the community group time to raise funds to bid for Westgate.

"Whilst the building has not been listed as an asset of community value if, during the process to date, the group has worked up their business plan, it still does have the option of submitting an offer for the site alongside other bidders."

But Charlotte Barnes, Lib Dem Parliamentary Candidate for Ludlow Constituency, said Shropshire Council's decision had been short-sighted. She said: "This is a real slap in the face for the people of Bridgnorth.

"The community group had put forward a credible plan for running Westgate as a community asset.

"Unfortunately this is typical of the blinkered attitude of Shropshire Council these days.

"They really don't know or care what the people of Bridgnorth want.

"Shropshire Council should be exploring with Mr Passant and his team ways of making this project happen."