Shropshire Council’s Cabinet has agreed to take urgent steps towards the sale and disposal of Shirehall, the council’s former headquarters in Shrewsbury.
The decision was made at a special Cabinet meeting held on Tuesday 14 July 2026, following consideration of a report on the future of the building and wider site.
Shirehall in Shrewsbury.
Cabinet agreed in principle to the sale and disposal of the Shirehall site, with minimum conditions attached, as the option most likely to reduce ongoing costs, avoid further unaffordable risk and secure the best value for Shropshire taxpayers.
The report set out that Shirehall is no longer required by the council for operational use, is significantly larger than the council now needs, and would need major investment before it could be brought back into use.
A marketing prospectus will now be prepared and brought back to Cabinet for agreement in the autumn. The prospectus will set out the site boundary, relevant planning considerations, valuation information and the council’s preferred approach to taking the site to market.
Inside Shirehall in Shrewsbury.
The council’s preference is for the site to be used for housing, including both private and affordable homes, subject to planning consent, while achieving the earliest and best return for the council
The prospectus will also refer to the wider preferences previously identified by Council in December 2025, including mixed-use development with healthcare, affordable supported living, commercial and residential uses. These will guide the market but will not be fixed requirements, so that the council can still secure the best overall outcome. The council remains open to a joint venture, without its involvement.
The report also explained that the council’s financial position has changed significantly since earlier decisions about Shirehall were made. The council is currently working under a financial emergency and needs to reduce the cost of holding assets it no longer needs, reduce borrowing and limit the need for Exceptional Financial Support.
The Cabinet report included an independent review commissioned by the s151 Officer and carried out by Chris Buss BA CPFA of Darenace Ltd. The review re-examined previous decisions and options against the council’s current financial position, including the need to reduce costs, minimise risk, secure best value and support the wider work to stabilise the council’s finances.
The review concluded that previously considered options, including council-led redevelopment, affordable housing-led redevelopment, mixed-use redevelopment and joint venture approaches, were unlikely to meet the council’s immediate financial requirements.
It said the option most likely to meet those requirements was to market the property for sale, either in its current condition or following demolition, with the preferred route informed by up-to-date valuation advice before any marketing takes place.
For recent photos of Shirehall, people can visit the council’s Flickr page.
Councillor Heather Kidd, Leader of Shropshire Council, said:
“This has been a difficult decision, but it is the responsible one given the council’s financial position.
“We know Shirehall matters to many people and we have listened carefully to views about its future. But the council cannot return to the building, we do not have the money to invest in it, and it is costing around £400,000 a year to keep secure and maintained.
“Continuing to spend that level of public money on a largely empty building is not sustainable. We have to reduce costs, minimise risk and make the best use of the assets we no longer need. This is exactly the kind of decision that the government will be looking for us to make as part of the Best Value Notice.
“Cabinet has now agreed the next steps so that the site can be marketed properly and openly. The prospectus will come back to Cabinet in the autumn, and we will continue to be clear about the process, the options and the need to secure the best possible outcome for Shropshire taxpayers.”
