Shropshire Council in talks to sell Unison building
Shropshire Council is in negotiations to sell off the Unison trade union bungalow that sits alongside Shirehall in Shrewsbury – as the authority prepares to move staff out of the main building from April next year, it was revealed today.
The authority has confirmed it is currently in talks with a potential buyer for the site.
Unison has used the small building as its base for Shropshire Council operations since 1985.
Alan James, branch secretary of Shropshire Unison, said the union had been told the same company that has recently agreed a deal to buy the neighbouring ambulance station in Abbey Foregate is the one looking to take on its bungalow.
Unison staff are to be moved on a temporary basis into the offices in Shirehall's print room, whose operations are being relocated off-site.
An exact date for the move is yet to be decided. Mr James said: "We of course realise that this will be a temporary measure as eventually the whole of the Shirehall site will be sold off for development.
"But this allows us to maintain the service we provide to our members and also gives us time to look to secure long-term, suitable accommodation as part of our facilities agreement with Shropshire Council," he said.
A spokesman for Shropshire Council said: "Shropshire Council is currently in negotiations with a potential buyer in regards to the sale of the Unison building."
It comes as preparations are stepped up to move staff out of the main Shirehall building.
Workers will start leaving from April, with the building expected to be empty by next Christmas.
The council's headquarters is being sold off as part of attempts to plug an £80 million budget deficit facing the authority in the next three years.
