Decision over Victorian Telford landmark could be made in two months’ time

The Gower School House, in St Georges, was built in 1873. Last year, St Georges and Priorslee Parish Council unveiled plans to move its meeting place and offices into the building and provide community halls, outdoor space, a kitchen and a café.

Parish councillors agreed to wait for a specialist business plan to be compiled before applying for the necessary £700,000 Public Works Board loan.

This week, chairman Richard Overton told colleagues “the figures aren’t looking that great” in the first draft of the document, and proposed an extraordinary meeting for the start of September.

In January, councillors heard the Public Works Board and a parish precept rise of 24 per cent – equivalent to an extra £10 a year for band-D homes – would be needed to fund the project.

They agreed to commission a specialist business and financial plan and examine its findings before deciding whether to pursue the loan.

Councillor Overton said that, if members eventually decided not to apply, the £36,000 raised by the tax rise “would be set aside and sit in reserves to use for other council priorities”.

Minutes of the parish council’s February meeting said Golden Kite Solutions Ltd was chosen to compile the business plan out of five bidders for the job, and May minutes said “coronavirus restrictions have affected progress” on it, but said the plan was “likely to be ready for discussion” by September.

Two cost estimates for the building work had also been received, the report added, and a third was delayed, also because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Known locally as ‘The Gower’, the grade II-listed building on Gower Street was initially a cottage hospital, but converted to a school shortly after opening and closed in 1960. It has since housed youth clubs, and is owned by Telford and Wrekin Council and managed by volunteers.

Councillor Overton told July’s St Georges and Parish Council meeting that he had been in contact with Golden Kite Solutions managing director Lindsay Barton over the preceding months.

“She just sent through the first draft of the figures for the Gower on her business plan,” he said.

“The figures aren’t looking that great, if I’m honest, so I’ve also asked the council if there are any other options around the Gower with the community centre and so on.

“What I propose is we have an extraordinary meeting in the first week of September to discuss proposals to then bring it to the September [ordinary parish council] meeting to then make a decision one way or another.”

The next regular meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, September 15.