Plan for Stafford's Shire Hall will soon be unveiled

Council bosses are said to be ready to issue the report, which is expected to include detailed plans to open the Grade II-listed landmark’s Assembly Hall for events and exhibitions.

It is understood that part of the building has been earmarked for use as a museum, while space would also be allocated for small business start-ups.

The move will come as a relief to long-suffering campaigners, who have demanded answers about the building’s future since it closed its doors in 2017.

The report was initially due to be published at the end of last month, but was held back in order to finely tune the financial element of the plans.

Bringing the hall back into use has been a cross-party effort, with councillors joining forces to map out the plans alongside Stafford MP Jeremy Lefroy.

Councillor Aidan Godfrey, who sits on Stafford Borough Council, said it was vital that Shire Hall was brought back into use as soon as possible.

“It is terrible that such an iconic building has stood idle for so long, but it is great to see that a solution appears to be very close,” he said.

“I look forward to seeing the report and hopefully it will not be too long before people are back in the hall.”

Mark Winnington, Staffordshire County Council’s cabinet member for Economic Growth, has described the planned uses for the building as “flexible and exciting”.

He said it was important that the site could pay its way through a long-term plan, and did not become “a burden on taxpayers”.

An initial assessment of the building, which dates from the 1790s, was undertaken by the Prince’s Regeneration Trust, before more detailed work was carried out by heritage building specialists Ingham Pinnock Associates and others.

Since its closure the building has been used for one-off events, including an amateur drama group using one of the court rooms for a performance.

The Assembly Hall was used as the medical area for this month's IRONMAN 70.3 event and will host the end-of-year exhibition for Stafford College art students.

The building served as a crown court until 1991.

It was revamped by the county council two years later and opened its Great Hall as an art gallery and exhibition space, occasionally hosting part of the Staffordshire Hoard.