'We have no money': Shropshire Council votes to dispose of civic centre that has lain empty for three years

Shropshire Council’s cabinet has voted to dispose of Whitchurch Civic Centre, saying it cannot afford to make the building safe to use.

Most of the centre in High Street has been closed since September 2023 after the discovery of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete alongside wider structural concerns.

Shropshire Council said it cannot afford the £4 million required to upgrade the building. At a meeting on Wednesday (September 9), cabinet members voted to dispose of it due to its dire financial situation.

"We're not selling it, we're disposing of it because we're recognising the need, how it's viewed by the residents, and its position within Whitchurch town centre," said Councillor Roger Evans, portfolio holder for finance.

"These are one of the hard decisions we don't want to make, but must make due to the financial position the council is in.

"The council has no money. It is borrowing money so it can fulfil all its legal obligations. The estimate at present is we will need just under £100 million to balance the books for this year.

"This will cost the council taxpayer around £9 million per year in interest and repayment charges for the next 20 years, or a little less if the loan is over 40 years.

"When we took over the council, we knew the financial situation was bad, but only later as that year unfolded did we learn the true extent of the financial mess the council was in. Many promises had been made, but no cash has ever been identified in how they could be met.

"The building, even though closed, is costing the council money, and this will increase as time passes. A solution needs to be found."

Creative Whitchurch, which is currently being established as a charitable incorporated organisation, has drawn up proposals for a possible new future for the town centre site.

Councillor Dan Thomas (Conservative, Much Wenlock) asked at Wednesday’s meeting whether, if a fully funded and deliverable community-led proposal emerged, how flexible the council could be.

Duncan Whitfield, the officer who oversees the council's finances, said it would be a struggle for any community group to raise the necessary cash to fund a redevelopment plus the maintenance costs to manage the building.

"The income it generates could prove a revenue challenge for the council or a community group moving forward," said Mr Whitfield.

"We don't know until we see what the proposals are, but the optics from a government point of view will be, if they see a building which is capable of generating some kind of receipt for us and we choose to take another option that generates no receipt and potentially generates costs going forward, when they meet with the chief exec and myself in a few months, they will probably be asking ‘why did we do that?’ And that puts us at risk."

The recommendation to dispose of the building was unanimously approved. Councillor Andy Hall - who represents Whitchurch North and has been heavily involved in the campaign to save the civic centre - left the room during the discussion and did not vote.

He has called a public meeting for this Friday (September 11) at 7pm in the Sports/Market Hall to discuss the situation going forward.

Councillor Heather Kidd, the leader of Shropshire Council, is due to attend along with Whitchurch ward councillors, Shropshire Council officers and Save Our Civic representatives.