The plan to save this incredible, ravaged building
In 2021 if you wandered down the main street heading out of the village of Llangefni, Isle of Anglesey you would have passed Shire Hall and probably been very impressed by this handsome civic building boasting a decorative Jacobethan style with Classical detail.
Called The Shire Hall, the impressive property formed part of a historic and handsome group of civic and religious buildings built at the turn of the century, reflecting the development of Llangefni as the county town, according to Cadw.
The civic hall was awarded a Grade II listing in 1989 for being 'a good example of a late 19th century civic building, employing the mix of vernacular and renaissance elements favoured at the time in civic architecture, lending a quasi-domestic character to the building'.
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The Shire Hall formerly housed the local and town councils, along with the magistrates courts and police station, but was left in a deteriorating state due to the impact of vandalism and water ingress. While it remained empty planning approval was sought from the council, and granted, to convert the building into seven residential units.
But on the night of Sunday, December 17, 2023 fire devastated this locally much-loved building with nearby resident Trudy Lewis telling North Wales Live at the time: "I got married in the Register Office there in 1995 but it looks destroyed inside from what I can see now. I’m just sad, it’s such a pretty little town and these are historic buildings."
The building has been at the heart of the village for over one hundred years, with the main section built in 1899 by O.M. Roberts & Sons of Porthmadog to a design by Lloyd Williams of Denbigh, at a contracted cost of £4,453. This was later extended by the addition of a similarly styled wing to the right, designed by Joseph Owen, County Architect, Menai Bridge, in 1912 with the rear of the building extended into more office space more recently.
At the time of the catastrophic fire North Wales Police and North Wales Fire and Rescue Service (NWFRS) said they thought the cause was probably arson. Since the fire the burnt out shell of the building has stood abandoned.
The building is now on the market as a development opportunity with the estate agent stating that the approximate three quarters of an acre site has planning permission for six townhouses of four storey construction extending to approximately 150m2 each, under application Number FPL/2023/181.
However the agent also says that the site would seem to support a significantly greater density of use, particularly if the now redundant building were to be demolished in part or entirety. If a larger development were to become a reality the vendors will reserve for a term of 10 years 50% of future development value in the event planning permission for a greater density of development is granted.
Currently any potential buyer will not be able to visit the site for an in-depth tour with the agent as the site is inaccessible, and has been deemed to be unsafe, therefore the agents are unauthorised to provide access. The agent states that any party accessing the property enters at their own risk.
The site is on the market with Jackson-Stops, Chester with a guide price of £500,000, call 01244 328361 to find out more.
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