Shirehall saga gets fresh twist as new report recommends exploring options to revive dormant council headquarters
There could be a fresh twist in the future of Shrewsbury's Shirehall after a council group recommended pausing demolition plans and looking at options to revive the dormant former headquarters.
Shropshire Council officially closed the landmark Abbey Foregate building to the public in February of last year.
The authority made Guildhall in Frankwell its base, pending the creation of a new Shirehall as part of the Riverside redevelopment.
But the Riverside plans were abandoned when the Liberal Democrats took control of the council after winning last May's elections, while the incoming administration also sought to change the proposals for Shirehall.
At a December meeting the administration put forward a motion backing a plan to demolish its former headquarters - but not to restrict the redevelopment of the site to solely housing.
Instead it plans to use the land for a mix of health facilities, housing, and an extra care facility.
But amid concerns the plans were being rushed through, opposition councillors forced a concession during a fractious behind-closed-doors debate.
The recommendation was to put together a council 'task and finish' group to assess the plans for Shirehall - and make recommendations for the best way forward.
Now the group, led by opposition Reform leader Councillor Dawn Husemann, has published its report, which will be considered by the full council next week.
It makes a host of recommendations - the first of which is to pause any demolition plan for six months.
Other proposals are to form a cross-party group and use the six months to develop two approaches to the future - looking at demolition and redevelopment, against retention and refurbishment.
The recommendations also suggest the council should look at both 'joint-venture' plans for the site, as well as private sales.
The group considered evidence from a number of representatives in preparing the report, including Save Our Shirehall, Shrewsbury Civic Society, Cornovii Developments, joint-venture developers, Shropshire Council's planning, estates, technical and economic development officers, Don’t Waste Buildings, and the C20 Society.
The report also highlights costs relating to asbestos, which must be dealt with no matter the future of the site.
It estimates that the removal of asbestos ahead of demolition could cost between £4m and £10m, compared to £1.5m to £3m of potential costs related to refurbishment.
The report urges the council not to make an "irreversible" decision, and says Shirehall's "best days can still be ahead".
It states: "Once gone it’s lost forever, and Shropshire will never have a civic centre worthy of our great county again."
The report says the current situation leaves the council with only two real options: remain at Guildhall or consider a return to Shirehall.
It states: "The snap decision at the end of 2024 to decant staff rapidly from Shirehall into Guildhall was made while there were active plans to build a new council hub within the Riverside development.
"The move was made in the light of this, knowing Guildhall was not an appropriate long-term base for Shropshire Council.
"The new council hub plan is no longer in place, and the council has need of an appropriate base for the medium to long term, with no money available to spend on it and no site other than Shirehall likely to accommodate the council’s requirements.
"Guildhall is not fit for purpose in the medium or long term. To even contemplate borrowing more money to build a new centre is irresponsible and unacceptable.
"The task and finish group believe that it is now a binary decision to either stay at Guildhall indefinitely or seek to work with private sector partners to provide Shropshire Council with a suitable, functional, and worthy civic headquarters at a refurbished Shirehall."
The report includes a warning about proceeding with demolition, and paints a vision of regeneration which could "light Shropshire up again".
It states: "The council risks destroying a major asset without understanding its full value— historic, financial, social, environmental, or civic. Exploration will allow the council to make an informed, futureproof decision before committing to an irreversible course of action.
"We are transforming the way we work to deliver better services and happy staff, let's seize this opportunity to transform where we work.
"Shirehall’s best days can still be ahead - if the council chooses to understand its value before destroying it. In the 1960s the construction of Shirehall put Shropshire on the map. A contemporary regeneration of the building and wider site could light Shropshire up again."
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