Popular TV presenter calls for Shrewsbury's Shirehall to be refurbished
It comes after Shropshire Council voted to sell it last week
A television presenter is urging Shropshire Council to consider refurbishing Shirehall in Shrewsbury – saying it is an iconic resilient building.
The Liberal Democrat-led administration voted to sell the 1960s building at a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday (July 14).
The Abbey Foregate building, the council’s former headquarters, closed to the public last year.
It is currently empty and costs the cash-strapped council an estimated £400,000 a year.
The future of the building has long been a contentious issue, with opposition parties and a vocal campaign group attempting to save it.
In January 2022, the then Conservative administration formerly agreed to declare the Shirehall site “surplus to requirements”, leading to the council to relocate to the Guildhall.
Earlier this month, it was revealed that an independent report commissioned to look at the future of Shirehall was recommending its sale.
Chris Buss, who conducted the review, said the recommendations were made based on the council’s current financial position.
He added that previously considered options, including council-led redevelopment, affordable housing-led redevelopment, mixed-use redevelopment and joint venture approaches, are unlikely to meet the council’s immediate financial requirements.
“Therefore, I reached the conclusion that the quickest way is to market the site with as little hindrance on it as possible,” said Mr Buss.
However, Kevin McCloud, who presents the Channel 4 show, Grand Designs, believes Shirehall could be refurbished.
“Shirehall is not listed, but it doesn’t matter – it is considered by every important architectural authority as a fine and important building of its time,|” said Mr McCloud.
“It represents the best of 20th Century modernist, a movement that is now hugely popular. Its contribution to Shrewsbury is to add a different British flavour, an extra ingredient to give the town more spice, more tourist appeal.
“Take it and its purpose away and Shrewsbury joins the futile race to become like every other town in the country where distinctiveness is sacrificed in pursuit of the shiny and bland.
“Meanwhile, public surveys conducted by Save our Shirehall show that nearly 97 per cent of those polled want it to be refurbished.
“Shirehall is an iconic resilient building in good condition, so it absolutely deserves to be considered for re-use by the council as its headquarters.”