Stafford's Shire Hall to close next month

The hall, based in Market Square in the town centre, is closing on Monday July 3.

Staffordshire County Council has taken the decision to close the former courthouse to save money.

The building, which houses an art gallery and a multi-sensory room and used to host the University of Wolverhampton and Stafford library, costs £250,000 a year to keep open.

The multi-sensory room is moving to Staffordshire Place, the same place as where Wolverhampton university has moved its services in the town.

The art gallery is closing and the historic court rooms, which are still used today for reenactments of famous trials, will also close.

Ian Parry, the county council's deputy leader, said: "We are determined to find uses for Shire Hall which will make this important building able to sustain its own future.

“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.”

Shire Hall was built as a courthouse between 1795 and 1798 and extended in 1854. It was Grade II listed in 1971. The council renovated it with English Heritage funding in 1993.