Purchased from Shropshire Council in 2013 by Shropshire Housing Group, the parent company of Meres & Moses, the completely refurbished building is also home to both Shropshire Council and West Mercia Police in the town.
The official opening was preceded by a stakeholder event which was also attended by the Mayors of both Shrewsbury and Ellesmere, along with a further 60 guests. Those present were invited to join a number of breakout sessions that sought to gain their input on key issues of importance to Shropshire Housing Group’s work: future visioning; affordable development; and sustainable community initiatives. This followed a similar event that took place in Ludlow in October for stakeholders in the south of the county.
Speaking at the official opening, Jake Berriman, Chief Executive of Shropshire Housing Group, said: “The improvements to Edinburgh House means it’s now a much more welcoming and flexible facility for both visitors and staff alike. Our offices at The Gateway in the south of the county at Craven Arms are similarly modelled on a multi-service provision basis, and so we were confident that replicating this in Wem would serve the local community and our tenants well.
“The stakeholder event was well attended and offered a great opportunity to involve guests in our future planning process. We place immense importance on such input and find that our key stakeholders bring an important contribution to our work.”
The new building will offer Meres & Moses tenants a range of improved services, including a dedicated reception to greet them and handle initial queries, and then direct them to further information or members of staff if necessary. Access to online services has also been made available so that visitors can connect to a range of service providers in one place. The improvements to the building have also made it much better for wheelchair access and for those with other mobility issues.
The existing council chamber and ante room have also been refurbished and will continue to be used for weddings and other civil ceremonies, town and parish council meetings, meetings of the Shropshire Council planning committee and as a polling station. The rooms can also be used for other events and are bookable by ringing Shropshire Housing Group on 0300 303 1190.
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