On the advice of its structural engineer, Shropshire Council has installed a structural scaffold to support part of the former White Horse pub in Wem. The council acquired the building at auction in August 2023, so that it could work to remedy the blight the building is causing to the wider town centre. Prior to this, the building had been owned for a long period by a failed development company and had fallen into a derelict state as a result.
With funding from Historic England and Homes England, the council has been working with Manchester based conservation accredited Buttress Architects to undertake a detailed condition and options assessment for the building. This included an assessment by a structural engineer, who identified movement in part of the rear of the building which had been caused by a longstanding leak in part of the roof. The scaffolding that has now been installed will make the building safe, allowing the side alley to be reopened to pedestrians.
Roger Evans, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member for finance, resources and assets, said:
“This is a long-standing problem building in Wem that residents have been concerned about for many years. The council is now looking for a long-term solution for it and this latest work to put scaffolding in place is part of us ensuring it remains safe and the public are protected.”
Gary Groves, Shropshire Councillor for Wem, said:
“I’m pleased this scaffolding is now in place and the alleyway reopened for residents to use. This is a long term project but the scaffolding will ensure that the building is stabilised whilst we work to find a new use for it. We would like to thank residents for their patience while we worked to reopen the alleyway.”
Alan Holford, Shropshire Councillor for Wem, said:
“Councillors are working with officers to explore funding opportunities for a scheme to repurpose this listed building and bring it back into use. We’d also like to thank residents for attending the engagement event in the Library back in March and providing their views on the options that our architects have proposed.”
