PROPOSALS on the future of Monmouth's historic Shire Hall will be put to the full County Council in the next few months.

The Council have carried out a condition survey on the listed building and recommendations will be put forward within two months, The Monmouthshire Beacon has discovered.

Monmouth's Area Manager, Mr Lee Robson, said it was important to stop the building deteriorating further. The Council now needed to see how to meet the cost of the necessary work.

The County have set up a Working Party which has been looking at the past, present and future of the building. Proposals are now being put together and will go to the full Council for approval.

The Council have promised full consultation with the Town Council, people who use the building and the public.

A number of proposals were drawn up by previous consultant Niall Phillips. He said it would cost between £1 million and £1.5 million to bring the building up to the condition required and another £25,000 to £30,000 a year to maintain it.

He suggested a number of uses to bring it back into the hub of the community, including as a venue for weddings. Funding could possibly come from Cadw and the Heritage Lottery. It is thought that both groups would look favourably on a scheme to restore the building so it could be used by the public, community groups and the councils.

One representative was quoted as saying that the Shire Hall was one of the best examples of its type in the UK.

Mr Robson said they were hoping to put the building back into the heart of the town. He emphasised that the County Council were keen to consult fully with interested groups.

However, he stressed that there were no guarantees and the best chance of securing funding was if all groups worked together.

A report from Mr Robson and Mr Tony Crowhurst on the Working Party's recommendations was due to be considered by the County Council's Resources and Customer Services Select Committee on Wednesday.

In it the officers said that over the last several years it was felt that the Shire Hall had not contributed as significantly as it might to the profile of Monmouth as a town rich in historical background, well placed on the British road network.

The Shire Hall was located in a prime spot in the middle of the town and although the fabric of the building was in satisfactory condition urgent work was needed to maintain its condition and arrest a major deterioration.

The building itself had been a difficult one to plan the use of due in part to the location and position of staircases, corridors, landings etc. There was also a court room of historic significance contained in one of the large rooms.

There had been disputes about the ownership of the building but the Council's officers were satisfied that historic documents proved ownership rests with the County Council.

The consultant had presented five options for members' consideration. These were:

1. Sell the Shire Hall

2. Give the property to the Town Council.

3. The County Council establish a charitable building preservation trust to own and run it.

4. The County Council establish a charitable building preservation trust to run the building, but ownership staying with MCC under a leasing arrangement.

5. The County Council take the lead by organising the future development of the building.

After debate the working party considered that options 3-5 were worthy of further research and consideration.

The report warned that each of the options relied on securing funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund and the support of Cadw. Any request for funding will rely heavily on a well-constructed business plan which will draw on information from a condition survey, an architectural appraisal, market research and analysis of revenue generation opportunities.

In order to maintain the current impetus it would be necessary to employ consultants in these fields in the very near future.

The Monmouthshire Beacon wants to know your views on the issue. What do you think should happen to the building? How should it be used?

Send your comments to Shire Hall Future, The Monmouthshire Beacon, 56 Monnow Street, Monmouth NP25 3XJ.