Campaigners to protest over civic centre closure

Whitchurch Civic Centre closed last year due to risks from potentially dangerous concrete

Campaigners who want to prevent the permanent closure of a threatened civic centre plan to gather outside the building later to press their case.

The Save our Civic campaign is aimed at preserving Whitchurch Civic Centre in Shropshire.

Its closure last year after reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (Raac) was found led to Shropshire Council concluding that repairs were uneconomical, and future options are now being considered.

Meanwhile, Whitchurch Town Council and some other services will move into the town's former police station, which closed in 2018.

Mayor Andy Hall told BBC Radio Shropshire: "Since we were asked to leave the building and given 20 minutes to get out back in October, Whitchurch Town Council have been nomads, really."

He added that the five-year lease for the former station would enable the council to give a home to some community groups also forced out of the civic centre.

The former police station on Station Road will house the town council and some groups forced out of the civic centre

Mr Hall said Saturday's protest was not a town council initiative, but that "many people of Whitchurch have got together, started their own website and the Save our Civic campaign".

The group said the event would enable townspeople to "show your support, share memories and help campaign to keep the civic open."

As landlord of the centre, Shropshire Council has been investigating the presence of Raac since problems became apparent in public buildings across the country last autumn.

In a report to councillors in January, demolition and redevelopment of the site was given as the authority's preferred option.

It said the costs of repairing or rebuilding the centre would be prohibitive.

However, it agreed to consider all options before a final decision was taken on the site's future.