Green Party councillors and campaigners are calling for a "radical rethink" on the future of an iconic Shrewsbury building.

Shropshire Green Party councillors are calling for a ‘radical rethink’ ahead of a key meeting that will decide the fate of the Shirehall building in Shrewsbury.

Shirehall, which was the headquarters of Shropshire Council from 1966 to 2025, has been the focus of a long-running controversy over competing plans to sell, demolish, or refurbish the site. Shropshire Council’s Liberal Democrat Cabinet will hold a special meeting on Tuesday 14 July to consider options for its future with expectations that it will be put up for sale.

However, Green Party councillors are against the sale, warning that it will not offer the best value for Shropshire taxpayers and that the Liberal Democrat led authority is coming under pressure from the Government due to the financial crisis it faces.

Green Party Councillor Julian Dean (Porthill, Shrewsbury) says:

‘The Green Party has consistently been calling for Shropshire Council to protect taxpayers over the future of Shirehall for many years. Whether you love or hate the building’s iconic modernist design, it is a valuable asset on the council’s balance sheet and what happens to it will have a significant impact on the public purse at a time when the council is in financial crisis. The options for Shirehall have been narrowed because the short-term financial crisis is taking priority over a long-term vision for the county. Shirehall should be part of that vision as a centre for a combination of public services, community facilities and commercial opportunities. Sadly it looks like the council leadership, under pressure from the Labour Government, will opt for short-term savings over long-term benefits for our town and county. We are calling for a radical rethink to ensure the decision prioritises Shropshire residents and the county’s long-term finances.’

According to campaign group Save Our Shirehall (SOS), Shropshire Council is considering borrowing up to £10m to enable council-owned house-building company Cornovii to buy the building and demolish and redevelop it. SOS is concerned by the absence of a fully-costed business plan for the sale and demolition.

John Crowe, founder of Save Our Shirehall, says:

‘It’s incumbent on the Liberal Democrat administration to protect the county’s valuable assets rather than selling them on the cheap at a fire sale. If this was the Mona Lisa we were talking about, we’d be trying to get the best price possible for it, not flogging it at a car boot fair. The Shirehall building may not be as pretty as Leonardo Da Vinci’s famous painting, but its value to Shropshire taxpayers shouldn’t be underestimated. Unless this process is fully transparent, people will suspect – rightly or wrongly – that a dodgy deal is being done. This is especially true given there is evidence that refurbishing Shirehall will be tens of millions of pounds cheaper in the long term than the council establishing a new base elsewhere which the council predicts will cost taxpayers £20m.’

Note

Shropshire Council’s Shirehall Strategic Review (December 2025) states: ‘The option of retaining the Council Chamber has been considered and initial estimates indicate costs in the region of £3m to retain and refurbish the chamber itself, which combined with the cost of building a new 4000m2 Civic Office, would be in the region of £20m in accordance with a consultant’s assessment of likely costs.’