'Don't be hasty' warn campaigners over Shirehall move

Shropshire Council believes the pandemic has shown that not as much space will be needed because many of its 800 staff have been able to successfully work from home. That is one of the key factors in the authority's desire to ditch its Shrewsbury base, Shirehall, in favour of a smaller HQ in Pride Hill Centre.

But campaigners Save Our Shirehall say some staff will be suffering from isolation, and the case for more workers in town meaning more footfall and more trade is "not well made".

The group also argues that Shirehall is structurally sound, reasonably energy efficient and, with modest capital expenditure could receive the maintenance and upgrades to refresh and enliven the county's civic and municipal centre.

Save Our Shirehall founder John Crowe said: "We have advised councillors not to be hasty in ditching our Shirehall while future safe-working with Covid remains unworked and uncertain.

Flexibility

"We fully recognise that there is exciting potential to work very carefully towards a new balance between often solitary home working and collective office working for the real benefit of council staff and the work they do on our behalf."

"The Shirehall was originally designed and built to offer near total flexibility of its office space use across all its office floors. This flexibility should be employed as soon as safe office working can resume. Shropshire Council should also consider moving staff employees into the Shirehall from a number of office sites it rents in and around Shrewsbury."

Mr Crowe added: "The economic case for increased footfall in Shrewsbury centre by moving in some 800 office staff is not well made; after all, staff will not have any more disposable income to spend. Staff resident in Shrewsbury already spend some income in the town anyway. The Shirehall provides much free parking and good access while the prospect of so many staff moving in and out of the town centre presents a potential nightmare.

"Rather than spending at least another £12 million on development, on top of the £51 million already spent on the town centre sites, Shropshire's Shirehall should continue to be fully used as it is already paid for by us."