Former council headquarters to be demolished for housing

The former headquarters of Bridgnorth District Council, Westgate, was bought earlier this year by South Staffordshire Housing Association (SSHA).

Housing Plus Group, part of SSHA, has now revealed its plans to bulldoze the building and replace it with 31 houses.

A planning statement submitted alongside the application says the majority of the houses will be sold on the open market to help fund the association’s work in providing affordable homes elsewhere in the county.

The proposed scheme includes a mix of detached and semi detached properties of between two and five bedrooms.

Two of the houses will be marketed as shared ownership while four will be affordable rent.

The statement by planning consultant Barton Willmore, agent to SSHA, says: “A contribution to the council’s housing land supply to help boost significantly the supply of new housing.

“The proposed development will deliver a wider choice of homes including aspirational family housing to attract working-age skilled people to the area, sustaining local labour supply for businesses in the area.

“Twenty per cent of dwellings will be affordable homes. The proposed development will make an important contribution towards meeting both borough wider and local housing need.

“The new development will assist the continued vibrancy and vitality of existing services and facilities within the local area.

“Improvements to the provision and management of public open space and recreational facilities on the site will improve opportunities for community cohesion and interaction and will encourage healthier lifestyles.

“The proposed development will provide safe pedestrian and cycle routes through the site to encourage existing and future residents to travel by alternative modes other than the private car.

“New tree planting across the site will enhance the sites landscape character, encouraging new wildlife habitats to emerge and create a pleasant environment in which to live.

“In relation to the site’s previous use the site will provide enhanced opportunities for bio-diversity and an increased area of green space compared to hardstanding.”

The application will be decided by Shropshire Council.

The Westgate building was the home of Bridgnorth District Council until Shropshire Council was formed in 2009, after which its use diminished and it eventually closed.

In 2015 Shropshire Council revealed its intentions to sell the building, leading to Bridgnorth Community Group bidding to have it listed as a community asset so that it could be retained for employment, recreation and community usage – but the application was rejected.

It was later hoped that West Mercia Police officers could use the building as a base following the closure of Bridgnorth Police Station in 2018, but that plan was dropped when it was decided to re-open the police station.

SSHA intended to buy both the Westgate council offices and the police station to build 41 homes, but the number has been reduced due to the police station no longer being included in the plans.