A major building project to replace Whitchurch's RAAC-hit main civic building is set to be put on hold amid Shropshire Council's cash crisis.
The redevelopment of Whitchurch Civic Centre, planned to deliver a modern, energy-efficient facility, is to be paused after Shropshire Council issued a review of its draft capital plan.
It is part of the wider financial pressures that have led the authority to declare a financial emergency with services being devolved to town councils and Shropshire appealing to the Government for further support.
The scheme is one of several major projects funded through the council’s capital budget that are set to be paused while the council reassesses its spending priorities.
READ MORE: Shropshire Council confirms Civic Centre closure over RAAC find
Councillor Andy Hall, chairman of the Whitchurch Civic Centre working group, said: "We had hoped that the Civic Centre would be included in Shropshire Council’s capital plan for the 2026/27 financial year.
"Regrettably, the council’s financial position has worsened in recent weeks and a financial emergency has been declared, meaning the council has had to review all of its planned spending.
"I know this will be disappointing news for many people in Whitchurch and the surrounding area, but the challenging financial position that the council is in means we need to think carefully about how we spend our capital budget in the coming financial year."
Despite the setback, Mr Hall stressed that both Shropshire Council and Whitchurch Town Council remain committed to the project and will continue to seek funding.
He said: "We will be working hard to identify alternative sources of funding and remain hopeful that the project will be included in the capital plan for the year 2027/28.
"I also want to reiterate that the £4 million previously promised by the council’s previous administration for this project was never actually included in their capital programme, meaning there was no actual funding in the programme for the work."
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The Civic Centre has been closed since September 2023, except for the sports and market hall, after specialist engineers found that RAAC concrete exists across the majority of the complex, and that it has major structural issues.
Councillor Rose Hall, Chair of Whitchurch Town Council, said the council remains focused on finding a solution to the building’s condition and returning the facility to community use.
She said: "We’ll continue to explore options as part of the working group and, whilst capital projects may be ‘halted’, hopefully in the short term, this does not impede our desire to reach a satisfactory resolution to the Civic Centre RAAC position and return this vital asset to community use."
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