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Stafford's Shire Hall Gallery to be "temporarily mothballed" by Staffordshire County Council
By Kerry.Ashdown | Posted: February 15, 2017
Shire Hall in Stafford town centre
STAFFORD'S historic Shire Hall is set to be "temporarily mothballed" while a suitable future use is found by Staffordshire County Council.
The council's cabinet approved plans today to move arts services out of the Grade II* listed landmark, which was built in the late 18th century and has previously served as a court and the town's library.
The multi-sensory room currently housed in Shire Hall will relocate to the new Stafford Library at Staffordshire Place and will be managed by library staff.
Wolverhampton University opened a Stafford base in Shire Hall in 2014 but is set to relocate to more suitable facilities in Staffordshire Place in the summer. Planning permission was granted by Stafford Borough Council this month for a new education and information centre at the Tipping Street site.
Once vacant, Shire Hall will be "secured and decommissioned in order to preserve in good order ready for reutilisation", a report to the cabinet said.
Deputy county councillor Ian Parry said today: "If there was ever a plan to sell (Shire Hall) off or do something that would harm it in any way I will guarantee my name would be at the top of the first petition.
"We need to be level-headed about it, see what is appropriate use for this building and how we can achieve it. We want to achieve it in a way that supports the town and economy.
"We are taking it seriously; we are not mothballing it and walking away, we are temporarily mothballing it while we find a suitable project and use for this building."
Speaking after the meeting he added: "We will work with public and private sector partners to look at the possibilities and this will be as part of our commitment to work with Stafford Borough Council on the wider regeneration of the county town."
As well as closing Shire Hall, Staffordshire County Council's cabinet voted today to cut further arts service funding.
The £20,000 Community Arts Grants scheme will be discontinued from this April and the £10,000 Arts Development Grants scheme will be withdrawn from April 2018.
But a Community Arts Officer post will be retained to support community providers, local organisations and artists to develop a network of locally-based arts activity. And the county council will continue to invest in the New Vic Theatre at Newcastle under Lyme from 2018-21.
Gill Heath, Staffordshire County Council's cabinet member for Communities and the Environment, said: "Our commitment to spend £300 million on care this year, while receiving less money, means we have had to make very difficult decisions in areas like the arts.
"Nonetheless, there is a thriving amateur arts scene in Staffordshire and our officer will help those groups and organisations in any way they can to access support.
"The Multi-Sensory Experience room is very popular and its future is assured in a bespoke room at the library nearby."
By Kerry.Ashdown | Posted: February 15, 2017
Shire Hall in Stafford town centre
STAFFORD'S historic Shire Hall is set to be "temporarily mothballed" while a suitable future use is found by Staffordshire County Council.
The council's cabinet approved plans today to move arts services out of the Grade II* listed landmark, which was built in the late 18th century and has previously served as a court and the town's library.
The multi-sensory room currently housed in Shire Hall will relocate to the new Stafford Library at Staffordshire Place and will be managed by library staff.
Wolverhampton University opened a Stafford base in Shire Hall in 2014 but is set to relocate to more suitable facilities in Staffordshire Place in the summer. Planning permission was granted by Stafford Borough Council this month for a new education and information centre at the Tipping Street site.
Once vacant, Shire Hall will be "secured and decommissioned in order to preserve in good order ready for reutilisation", a report to the cabinet said.
Deputy county councillor Ian Parry said today: "If there was ever a plan to sell (Shire Hall) off or do something that would harm it in any way I will guarantee my name would be at the top of the first petition.
"We need to be level-headed about it, see what is appropriate use for this building and how we can achieve it. We want to achieve it in a way that supports the town and economy.
"We are taking it seriously; we are not mothballing it and walking away, we are temporarily mothballing it while we find a suitable project and use for this building."
Speaking after the meeting he added: "We will work with public and private sector partners to look at the possibilities and this will be as part of our commitment to work with Stafford Borough Council on the wider regeneration of the county town."
As well as closing Shire Hall, Staffordshire County Council's cabinet voted today to cut further arts service funding.
The £20,000 Community Arts Grants scheme will be discontinued from this April and the £10,000 Arts Development Grants scheme will be withdrawn from April 2018.
But a Community Arts Officer post will be retained to support community providers, local organisations and artists to develop a network of locally-based arts activity. And the county council will continue to invest in the New Vic Theatre at Newcastle under Lyme from 2018-21.
Gill Heath, Staffordshire County Council's cabinet member for Communities and the Environment, said: "Our commitment to spend £300 million on care this year, while receiving less money, means we have had to make very difficult decisions in areas like the arts.
"Nonetheless, there is a thriving amateur arts scene in Staffordshire and our officer will help those groups and organisations in any way they can to access support.
"The Multi-Sensory Experience room is very popular and its future is assured in a bespoke room at the library nearby."
