Whitchurch Civic Centre redevelopment takes a step forward
Plans to redevelop Whitchurch Civic Centre and create a new, modern, fit-for-purpose and energy-efficient building have taken a step forward after it was confirmed that the scheme will be included in Shropshire Council’s new capital strategy.
The strategy – due to be presented to the council’s Cabinet on 19 November – will include the projects on which the council plans to invest its capital budget, and how much money has been allocated to each. This is money that can’t be used for day-to-day spending.
Once the level of available funding is confirmed the working group set up to consider and agree the future of Whitchurch Civic Centre will further consider and agree how a future civic centre might look, and draw up more detailed plans.
The Civic Centre has been closed since September 2023 – except for the sports/market hall – after specialist engineers found that RAAC concrete exists across the majority of the complex, and that it has major structural issues.
At its latest meeting this week the Whitchurch Civic Centre working group – made up of local Shropshire Councillors, Whitchurch Town Councillors, Helen Morgan MP, and officers from both councils – discussed the importance of a market hall and a theatre in the building, and the potential size and scale of each.
Councillor Andy Hall, chairman of the working group, said:
“It’s clear how much the local community values the Civic Centre, and what they would require from a future centre, and our focus is on ensuring that it provides the facilities and activities that local people want.
“It’s great news that the Centre is to be included in Shropshire Council’s capital strategy. Once the amount of funding for the project is confirmed we can agree what can achieved with the funding available, and what external funding may be needed to help us provide a civic centre that meets the needs of people in Whitchurch and the surrounding area.”
