Council seeking permission to sell off property

The council left its old offices last year, with some staff moving into the Guildhall in Shrewsbury

Shropshire Council has asked for permission to sell off property and other assets to fund its efforts to become smaller and more efficient.

In its application to the government, the authority said the planned transformation programme would take 12 months and cost £26m.

It will include greater use of digital services, as it seeks to reduce its workforce by more than 500 jobs.

The money generated from the sales will not be used for day-to-day running costs, which the council has cut by £46m in the current financial year.

It had said it must save nearly £23m from its budget in the next financial year.

The authority said it had received support in principle for the sale, but it was subject to final ministerial approval later this month.

It said in 2024,19 councils were granted exceptional financial support by the government, and in 2025 the number was expected to be "considerably higher".

It has not yet said which properties or assets would be sold.