Councillor 'cautious' of civic centre reopening

A councillor has raised concerns that a civic centre in Shropshire may not reopen, despite the council's commitment to find the money.

Whitchurch Civic Centre closed in September 2023 after reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (Raac) was found throughout the building.

Local councillor Gregory Ebbs expressed caution after Shropshire Council announced at Wednesday's cabinet meeting it would commit up to £4m to get the centre back open.

"The fact they're talking about is very very positive, but hey could very easily delay decision-making for the next two years and we still get nothing", Ebbs said.

The Liberal Democrat added that he was "really, really cautious" about the council's commitment.

"As far as I understand, all they've done is say 'We're going to look at securing £4m' that to me doesn't sound to me like they have secured the money", Ebbs said.

"What we need is clear communication and a clear strategy on how we are going to secure the funding", Ebbs added.

Dean Carroll, from the ruling Conservative group on Shropshire Council, said the authority recognised the importance of the centre and the agreement to find the money would "help bring the centre back into use".

It is not yet known if the centre will get a new roof or it will be rebuilt.

The decision depended on whether additional government or external funding could be allocated to fund the rebuild, Carroll said.

Ebbs added that the long-term future of the building should also be considered.

"I don't like seeing things being pulled down, because it causes a lot of environmental waste, but I do believe you want a building that is going to last another 100 or 200 years.

"The problem with our society is we too often look at building things that last for 10 or 20 years.

"We should be building a legacy for our children and grandchildren", Ebbs added.

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