A PETITION to try to save the Whitchurch Civic Centre from being replaced has been launched by residents.

It was launched by Clare Bellingham as a response to the recommendation that Shropshire Council knock down and replace the Civic Centre with housing and other facilities.

It has already garnered nearly 500 signatures.

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Launching the petition, she said: “It's unthinkable that demolishing the heart of Whitchurch for housing has even been put on the table as an option but here we are with it seemingly as the preferred current option. 

“We note that while the demolish and rebuild for £6 million has been dismissed, the repair for £2 million hasn't even been considered.

“Whitchurch Civic Centre is a huge asset to the town being one of the largest indoor spaces in Shropshire and a social and cultural hub. 

“The value to the community is worth far more than any financial value that Shropshire Council can put on it and yet it is being removed from the High Street because its Shropshire Council owners have decided to make some money from it without regard for what the town's community is set to lose. 

“We will be a market town without a market, there will be no space for amateur dramatics shows, no family parties, no concerts, no lantern workshops or parade, no Blackberry Fair, no pantomimes or comedy clubs, no warm space, no library, no kids clubs, among others.

“(There will be) no martial arts classes, no polling station, no driving test centre, no sports hall meaning no indoor bowling, no badminton and a hundred other things that we all go to throughout the year. 

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“We ran out of time on this issue before the debate even began but our community can come together and fight the direction of Shropshire Council discussion by letting them know that this community is ours and we will protect what we value to ensure that the people of Whitchurch can thrive into the generations to come.”

The petition can be signed at https://www.change.org/p/save-whitchurch-civic-centre

Meanwhile, Whitchurch Proper Officer Mike McDonald has urged people to contact Shropshire councillors Peggy Mullock, Gerald Dakin and Tom Biggins to raise their concerns.