Shrewsbury’s £10.7 million Guildhall, the town council’s headquarters, could be sold off and turned into apartments to raise millions of pounds.
Shropshire Council leader Keith Barrow has said that as part of cost-cutting measures the unitary council, which owns the lease, may consider selling the Guildhall.
And the leader of Shrewsbury Town Council, Peter Nutting, has confirmed the authority is preparing to look at alternative premises.
Mr Barrow suggested the offices, which were originally built for Shrewsbury & Atcham Borough Council in 2004, could be turned into apartments, and the cash generated used for revenue savings and capital spending projects such as the Ditherington Flax Mill development.
All council properties are currently under review, and if the idea is taken forward it could mean Shrewsbury Town Council, plus hundreds of Shropshire Council workers, moving out of the Guildhall and into smaller offices elsewhere in town.
Several key Shropshire Council departments are based at the purpose built Frankwell Quay development, including waste and recycling, council tax and benefits, planning, highways and children and young people’s services.
In a recent BBC radio interview, Mr Barrow said it was ‘absolutely’ a possibility and that Shropshire Council ‘certainly wouldn’t rule it out’.
Later he added: “We are looking at all the property we own to make sure we make the best use of every asset owned by the council. As part of that, we will of course look at the Guildhall at some point in the future, but there are no plans to sell the building or make any changes at this stage.”
Peter Nutting, leader of Shrewsbury Town Council, said: “I’m not sure it would be possible because there are so many people working in it at present. But should it happen we have to make sure the town council has a Plan B and we are exploring some alternatives at the moment.
“We would not require huge offices and I do believe that Shrewsbury Town Council should have its own premises and should be independent from Shropshire Council.”
By David Seadon