Hadley and Leegomery Parish Council said the lodge at Hadley Cemetery would be put on the market, after a decision taken in a private session of the council's recent meeting.

The council said the sale could raise "hundreds of thousands of pounds" to be spent in the community.

But the decision has been criticised by local residents who say the council should have consulted the public before taking the decision to sell the building. We now want to petition the council to overturn their decision. 

The building has previously been home to the cemetery manager and has been in possession of the council for a number of years.

The Shropshire Star has been contacted by several residents concerned about the potential sale, warning the community will lose a permanent valued asset in the process.

The council's social media post announcing the decision has also been met with criticism from a number of residents.

Many responses have questioned why the council had not consulted the public before deciding on the sale.

One said: "If you never consulted or listened to residents initially about the sale of the lodge why should we be so sure that you’ll take any notice about how residents think the money should be spent?"

Another said: "The lodge is a community asset and should never have gone up for sale without public consultation."

Another added: "This is a shame and residents should have been consulted way before the decision was made. I plead to residents of Hadley and Leegomery community to attend meetings and have your voice heard."