A report setting out options for the future of Shirehall, Shropshire Council’s former headquarters in Shrewsbury, will be considered at a special meeting of Cabinet on Tuesday 14 July 2026.
The report will ask Cabinet to consider the future of the building and site, taking into account the cost of keeping the largely empty building secure, previous proposals for the site, and the findings of an independent review and most importantly the council’s current financial position.
Cabinet members will consider the full report and the supporting assessment of options before reaching a decision at the meeting.
Shirehall was once the main home of Shropshire Council, but since the pandemic and the council’s later move to The Guildhall, also in Shrewsbury, the building has been largely empty. The building continues to require extensive and costly maintenance and remediation work in order to bring it back into any use that may or may not be required.
Over recent years, a number of different ideas have been considered, including bringing the building back into use, redeveloping the wider site, creating new homes and other community facilities, or selling the site.
The report includes an independent review commissioned by the s151 Officer, carried out by Chris Buss BA CPFA of Darenace Ltd. In particular, the report re-examines previous decisions and options and references the council’s financial emergency and the need to reduce costs, minimise risk and secure best value for taxpayers.
The review concludes that previously considered options, including council-led redevelopment, affordable housing-led redevelopment, mixed-use redevelopment and joint venture approaches, are unlikely to meet the council’s immediate financial requirements. These include maximising any capital receipt, achieving that receipt as quickly as possible, reducing or avoiding further council investment, and minimising ongoing running costs.
It says the option most likely to meet those requirements is to market the property for sale, either in its current condition or following demolition, with the preferred route to be informed by up-to-date valuation advice before any marketing takes place.
Councillor Heather Kidd, Leader of Shropshire Council, said:
“We know that lots of people have an interest in Shirehall and we’ve been very open to suggestions about finding a future use for the building and site.
“As a council we know that we can’t go back there. It’s too big for what we need now. It’s expensive to run and maintain, and we have no money to invest in it. It’s a difficult decision, but sensible given our financial emergency.
“We are under a great deal of external scrutiny and, understandably the government is pushing us to sell assets that we don’t need or want so we can avoid costly borrowing.
“A final decision is now needed – it continues to cost us a significant amount of money to keep secure and this can’t continue.
“Cabinet will consider the report carefully before reaching a decision. We cannot pre-empt that decision, but we do need to be honest about the financial context and the need to find the most responsible way forward.”
The independent review also notes that the council’s financial position has changed significantly since earlier decisions about Shirehall were made. It says the council now needs to focus on options that reduce the cost of holding the site, avoid further unaffordable risk, and support its wider work to stabilise its finances.
If Cabinet agrees that sale is the most realistic option, the council would need to look at most recent valuations, confirm the site boundary and any planning considerations, and agree the timing and approach for taking the site to market. It may need to be considered at Full Council if necessary.
The Cabinet report will be published in advance of the meeting on the council’s committee pages on Monday 6 July 2026. The meeting will be held on Tuesday 14 July 2026.
The independent report can be read here: Independent report on Shirehall
