Bid for government cash after civic centre closure

Shropshire Council leader Lezley Picton said the centre was the "beating heart" of Whitchurch

Replacing a town's civic centre which was closed for safety reasons could cost up to £7.6m, according to a council which says it has asked the government for financial help to forge the site's future.

Whitchurch Civic Centre, in Shropshire, was shut last year after reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (Raac) was found.

Six options for its future have been drawn up and Shropshire Council leader Lezley Picton has written to ministers to ask what funding they could provide.

The Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities (DLUHC) said it would respond to the letter "in due course".

Whitchurch Civic Centre was closed after a form of dangerous concrete was found

In her letter to levelling up minister Jacob Young, Ms Picton described the centre as "the beating heart of the town and the surrounding rural area".

Its closure "caused a massive public outcry" and, given the financial challenges facing the council, she asked Mr Young to let the authority know what funding could be available.

In February, campaign group Save our Civic held a demonstration at the building to call for its future to be protected.

Raac is a material which was used as a cheaper alternative to standard concrete but has a lifespan of about 30 years.

The civic centre shut in September and the council concluded repairs were uneconomical.

Options considered by a working group for recommendation to council cabinet range from doing nothing and permanently closing the building to demolishing it and potentially rebuilding the centre or using the site for another development.

The estimated costs ranged from £60,000 to £7.6m, a council spokesperson said.

Whitchurch Town Council relocated from the building to a temporary site while Whitchurch Library moved for the time being to the town’s market hall.

Shropshire Council has already been awarded more than £18m through the levelling up fund, a spokesperson for the DLUHC said.

"We have received Shropshire Council’s letter and the minister will respond in due course," they added.