Shirehall will never fully reopen, Shropshire Council confirms

Shirehall in Shrewsbury is to undergo work to reconfigure parts of the building into bookable work spaces and meeting rooms for when staff must be on the premises, while the rest of the building has been declared off-limits.

Other council offices around the county will undergo similar changes.

The council plans to rid itself of Shirehall by 2023 and move into a smaller ‘civic centre’ in Shrewsbury town centre, and a leaked email to staff has today revealed they will not be returning to their own offices when Covid-19 restrictions ease.

The email, from acting chief executives Karen Bradshaw and Andy Begley, informed council employees of permanent changes that would be made to how they work going forward.

Council leader Peter Nutting confirmed the plans.

He said: “Since the end of March, the Covid-19 pandemic has permanently changed the way that everybody works and the need for office space has diminished as the world has become accustomed to working in different ways, including at home.

“As a result of this, and because the need for Covid-secure workspaces continue to mean restrictions on the numbers using our buildings, our offices can’t re-open as they were previously.

“We are currently considering which of our administrative buildings around the county might be suitable for re-opening to provide meeting and working space and more details on this will follow in the coming weeks.

“Shirehall will never reopen in the way that it did before March. Indeed, we’ve already announced that the council plans to leave Shirehall permanently by 2023 and move to a new, smaller, home in Shrewsbury town centre.

“Home and mobile working remains our recommended option for staff, and our expectation is that very few people will require office accommodation whole time on a permanent basis.

“However, we recognise there will be some circumstances where working from an office or meeting in a council building is needed in the future.”

Councillor Nutting said the ground floor, first floor and parts of the second floor at Shirehall were being reconfigured to allow the building to be used “in a more flexible way”.

Staff will be able to book desks and meeting rooms in these areas from October or November, while the rest of the building will no longer be used, “in line with revised health and safety guidance and fire regulations”.

Councillor Nutting added: “Other sites around the county will follow soon after, again intended to provide staff with bookable, flexible, Covid-safe environments.

“We appreciate that this will be an uncertain or unsettling time for many of our staff, which is why our future plans will try to meet their work needs, but also their personal and social needs.

“Hence our plans will enable staff to have contact with their teams and colleagues and will be able to get together from time to time in a safe way.”