What’s happening to Shirehall in Shrewsbury months after it closed to the public? - find out here
Some staff at Shropshire Council are still based at the Shirehall in Shrewsbury – nearly four months after it closed to the public.
The local authority’s new headquarters is the Guildhall at Frankwell, citing the move would help reduce running costs and become more financially sustainable.
However, Councillor Roger Evans, the new administration’s portfolio holder for finance, admitted the relocation has taken much longer than expected, although it is now in its final phase with the remaining tenants being relocated and the building being cleared of furniture and equipment.
He was responding to a question from John Palmer at Wednesday’s Cabinet meeting – the first since the Liberal Democrats took control of the council following its success at last month’s elections.
“What have been the costs of owning Shirehall in 2025, month-by-month, and how much has been budgeted to spend on anything associated with the dilapidating monolith until March 31, 2026?” asked Mr Palmer.
“Why has the land’s potential development for new housing by a purchasing developer, such a fertile and urgent Government priority, not been mentioned publicly as the incoming Cabinet’s plan, creating much-needed new homes for Shrewsbury against a backdrop of a crashed Local Plan?
“Please don’t let officers persuade you that these costs cannot be revealed without an FOI request, when refreshed openness and transparency for residents is your welcoming public political mantra.
“Potentially answering, ‘we know exactly, but it’s commercially sensitive, affected by ongoing site disposal negotiations’, may indicate, ‘it’s a lot, and we’re ashamed to admit it publicly’?
“Potentially answering, ‘we don’t know, and don’t have the time to calculate it’, may indicate an eyes-off-the-ball complacency to inherited wasteful expenditure’?
“When will Cabinet instruct officers urgently to limit this pointless waste of money and bring forward a paper for decision-making by Cabinet and then Full Council, or announce a sale of the land to developers?”
In response, Cllr Evans said: “The budgeted saving associated with the Shirehall shown in budget papers is £1.3 million for 2025/26, but the target is to deliver an in-year saving of £1.005 million.
“The difference between these figures reflects the residual spend over the year of previous plans that were already agreed and in place.
“The future of this building and the site is, together with many others, being re-examined.
“The second stage will be the commissioning of the building, including shutting down and draining systems. Stages one and two will, I am being told, conclude this calendar year.
“The previous administration had planned a stage three, with that programme running into 2026 for marketing activity. We have been in power for just 20 days and much work has, and is, taking place so we can fully understand how to take many projects forward.
“Please note, I have not used words like ‘commercially sensitive’ in this answer. A survey of the building was previously commissioned, and I would hope to make informed comments about this and the findings in the coming weeks.
“I do believe in sharing as much information as possible and to live up to the claim of being a more transparent and open council.”
