Council seeks agreement to demolish former HQ

11 December 2025

Susie Rack,West Midlandsand

Rob Trigg,Political Reporter, Shropshire

News image — Leader Heather Kidd said the move from Shirehall was done for the "right reasons"

BBC A woman with grey hair in a blue jacket smiles at the camera. She is wearing frameless glasses and a blue lanyard around her neck. She is standing outside a building. A bush can be seen to her left. — Leader Heather Kidd said the move from Shirehall was done for the "right reasons"

A council has confirmed it wants to knock down its vacant former headquarters and redevelop the site.

Shropshire Council moved out of its 1960s building Shirehall, in Shrewsbury, more than a year ago to avoid an expensive refurbishment.

The new Liberal Democrat administration had considered retaining parts of the building, but said the decision would depend on affordability.

Now, its review has concluded the cost of retention would be "unfeasible", at more than £54m, and the building should be flattened. The recommendation goes before a full council meeting on Thursday.

The former Conservative-run council previously said the building was too expensive to renovate and deemed it "surplus to requirement", moving to smaller offices in Shrewsbury's Guildhall.

But the Lib Dems, who took control in May, expressed an interest in retaining the council chamber and other associated buildings.

The recommendation comes after the authority declared a financial emergency in September and said it was taking urgent measures to control its spending.

A view of a brutalist multi-storey 1960s building clad in grey, with windows stretching the full length. The picture is taken from the ground outside, where stairs lead up to a covered walkway into the building. — Shirehall in Shrewsbury was built in the 1960s

Its review assessed possible options for the site, including redevelopment and sale, assessing them against local need, environmental impact and financial implications.

The council found refurbishment or retention was too costly, and also had structural and safety implications.

Selling the site or leaving it undeveloped were also ruled out due to costs and a lack of benefit to the community, it said.

"The recommended option therefore is to demolish the existing Shirehall building and pursue a mixed-use redevelopment," a spokesperson said.

They added the development could include care facilities, a new medical centre, residential accommodation, and commercial space.

Leader councillor Heather Kidd said the council had moved out of the building for the "right reasons".

"It just became too big and costly for us, especially following the pandemic. Unfortunately, due to the cost, it would never be an option to refurbish it for our use," she said.

"Although empty, the site still costs us hundreds of thousands a year to maintain and keep secure, so it's important that we move on and make best use of it."