A WOMAN from Malpas says she is willing to donate a substantial sum of money to help fix Centre North East, but says Whitchurch and Shropshire Council must move forward with their plans faster.

Sally Tennant has £10,000 “on the table” to put towards repairing the building, which is stuck in a tug of war between Shropshire Council and Whitchurch Town Council.

Whitchurch Town Council has previously made efforts to take it over via a Community Asset Transfer (CAT), but concerns over the level of damage and potentially prohibitive cost of repairs have slowed plans.

Figures provided to the town council show repairs would cost more than £100,000, but these are just indicative costs and the real cost could be higher or lower dependent on the contractor.

At November’s full council meeting, members of Whitchurch Town Council did agree on a plan of action for taking over the building and viewed using volunteers and donated materials and funds as the best way to get the building back into service.

A public consultation will be launched this month while the town council draws up a business plan for how best to proceeed with a takeover.

Various groups have been displaced by the closure of Centre North East, notably Whitchurch Men in Sheds and Whitchurch Youth Club.

Men in Sheds, led by Geoff Crowther-Smith, said they are willing to take on the repairs themselves, if materials are donated or supplied, but feel like they are currently “in limbo”.

Sally Tennant said she is more than happy to donate the funds, but said the slow pace of both councils is causing harm to the groups that might use the building.

Sally Tennant said: “Following the October meeting of Whitchurch Town Council, I offered Geoff Crowther-Smith a substantial sum of money to repair Centre North East, with the intent of making the place watertight before the bad weather set in.

“The town council and Shropshire Council have dragged their heels and so far nothing seems to have gone any further.

“I understand Whitchurch Men in Sheds have had offers of materials together with the money I have put on the table, but in my view, the town council is failing the youth of Whitchurch.”

Whitchurch Town Council confirmed it had been in touch with Sally, but did not reveal the outcome of the talks.