New university plan for Stafford town centre

A major university wants to move into one of Staffordshire County Council’s new flagship buildings in Stafford.The University of Wolverhampton will move out of the Grade II-listed Shire Hall in the town and hopes to relocate its base to nearby 2a Staffordshire Place.It has said the building, which forms part of a £38 million home for Staffordshire County Council staff, ‘reflects the university’s commitment to the most modern and highest standards of teaching’.It is thought the ground floor of the building has been empty since being opened in 2011.It has planning permission to be used as a shop and a restaurant – but the university would need additional approval so it can become the new learning centre.The County Council’s 135,000 sq ft office complex was opened in December 2011, and built on the site of the former Tipping Street car park in the heart of Stafford.The town’s library was relocated to an adjacent building at Staffordshire Place and opened in September 2015.University teaching staff will use the facility and two new full-time jobs will be created, along with another part-time post.There is no designated parking included in the plan but there are car parks nearby, including the 1,000-space Waterfront car park, which was opened in March as part of the £100m Riverside shopping development.All people using its facilities will enter through doors at the front of 2a Staffordshire Place.There will be no plans for further building work at the site if the planning proposal gets the go-ahead, university chiefs said.Commercial property agents GVA said Staffordshire Place boasts a ‘healthy mix of employment’ and that having offices on upper levels means ground floor areas can be used after office hours by other groups.There are five ground floor units there, located either on Tipping Street or South Walls.