Shropshire Council to spend £544k on consultants to support shopping centre purchases

It has also been revealed that Shropshire Council expects to spend £544,000 on consultants to support the process of buying the town's three shopping centres – Darwin, Pride Hill, Riverside – and a nearby medical practice, which was completed in a £51 million deal last month.

Now the authority has revealed that Wilkos moving into the Pride Hill Shopping Centre will be a 'catalyst for change', and the upper level works will be enhanced and the council will be looking at other uses for the mid-level, not just retail.

The news comes after the announcement that the Riverside is likely to be demolished to make way for a 'mixed-use development', including a car park, and the possibility of a hotel, leisure facilities, restaurants, or pubs.

This is part of the council's long term plan which links to its economic growth strategy and Shrewsbury Big Town plan.

Scrutiny

The council's Labour's leader Alan Mosley will put to the full council meeting next week that the criticism of the purchase has been enhanced by the "lack of any consultation and scrutiny prior to the decision being taken behind closed doors".

Councillor Mosley wanted reassurance that the the trusts relating to the properties which are currently registered in Jersey will be transferred to the mainland, wanted to know that there has been adequate governance, management and scrutiny, what the plans were for repairs and tackling the decline in trade and how much consultants were going to be paid.

The reply, from council leader Peter Nutting and portfolio holder for corporate support Steve Charmley, says that due diligence steps have been taken.

It states: "The council’s internal and strategic governance has been developed following a significant process of due diligence involving meetings with other council’s with similar asset holdings, internal and external workshops, risk management sessions together with professional advice from a number of different organisations.

The council also said that although the trusts are currently registered offshore in Jersey, they plan to transfer the assets back to the mainland, but no formal decision has been made.

The reply from Councillors Nutting and Charmley adds: "This option is currently being considered in detail and a report will be brought to a future cabinet and council meeting for decision."

Figures for the refurbishment of the centres have been considered "in detail", and are covered by the planned maintenance programme, but financial details are currently confidential due to "commercial sensitivity".