Stoke-on-Trent City Council begins property sell-off to fund new £40m HQ
FIVE city council buildings including the Civic Centre and Stoke's historic town hall are now up for sale – but no-one will say how much for.
Stoke-on-Trent City Council yesterday placed its properties in Stoke on the market as it looks to offset the cost of its new £40 million headquarters in Hanley.
-
The former Spode Works is one of the five buildings up for sale.
But the council has still not revealed how much money it expects to raise if it can sell the Stoke buildings and indicated it has not set a minimum threshold below which bids will not be considered.
Developers have until the end of November to register an interest before a formal bidding process begins.
8kg 1400 spin A+++ rated washer
with a full 6 year warranty - yes SIX years
delivered FAST & FREE
was OVER £600 - For a limited time ONLY £449.90
Amazing value!!!
Terms:
8kg 1400 spin A+++ rated washer
with a full 6 year warranty - yes SIX years
delivered FAST & FREE
was OVER £600 - For a limited time ONLY £449.90
Amazing value!!!
Contact: 01782 342609
Valid until: Saturday, June 01 2013
A fifteen-acre site including the former Spode works, Stoke Town Hall, King's Hall, Gordon House and Kingsway car park is up for grabs.
The authority has released a brochure for investors which outlines a series of plans for the buildings. They include:
Transforming the listed town hall and adjoining King's Hall into a hotel and conference centre;
Revived plans to build a supermarket or shopping complex on the rear section of the Spode site and using the heritage buildings for ceramics retail, visitor attractions, workshops and gallery space;
Building on Kingsway car park to create a 'mixed use development' which could include houses and a public park. The authority has revealed it will consider bids from firms which want to buy all five sites and develop them outright as well as investors who want to take on the land and lease it in portions to developers.
Officers also admit they are 'not prescriptive' about what happens to the buildings and will be prepared to rip up both the Stoke Town masterplan and suggested uses for the properties to secure a sale.
Plans to move into a purpose-built office complex in Hanley's new Central Business District by 2015 have sparked major protests from traders and residents who fear the 1,300 outgoing council workers will not be replaced.
Council leader Mohammed Pervez, pictured, said: "The former Spode Works site is a landmark in Stoke town and is at the centre of the 15-acre site.
"It was the location of the pottery for more than 200 years and approximately half the 10-acre site has already been cleared, with the remainder including a range of historic buildings some with great heritage merit.
"The marketing of this site demonstrates our desire to progress speedily with the redevelopment of it and the regeneration of Stoke town. This is an exciting development opportunity. We believe this will generate interest from a large number of developers."
Save Our Stoke campaign organiser Graham Barrett, aged 61, of Honeywall, questioned why the council has not set a minimum price for bidders.
He added: "They may attract a buyer for Spode, but we feel the Civic Centre will be empty for a very long time and will become a millstone around Stoke's neck.
"My concern is that they will virtually give these buildings away simply to justify their move into Hanley."
Councillor Dave Conway, leader of the opposition City Independents, said: "The whole project still does not add up.
"If they can't say how much money they want for the buildings, what are they going to tell the bidders?"
Developer Genr8 is to unveil detailed designs for the new council headquarters, part of the planned Central Business District, at the Mitchell Arts Centre, in Broad Street, between midday and 7.30pm on Thursday. Residents and traders are asked to attend and give their views.
Comments
by davidmayer
Tuesday, November 27 2012, 1:52AM
“Just a small PS to my comments below - don't take this as knocking Labour - the other bunch are equally as useless, as are all career politicians.
How can they condone slashing services to save millions, when companies are evading taxes on a massive scale.
The HMRC have wiped out TENS OF BILLIONS of avoided tax, a lot of it on the back of a wink and a handshake without so much as a nod to proper process.
So be aware of who the tax avoiders are, such as Vodaphone and Starbucks, and don't give them your business.”
by davidmayer
Tuesday, November 27 2012, 1:41AM
“You need to ask yourselves why councillors such as Pervez KNOW they can ride rough-shod over their voters with impunity.
That's because a monkey with a Labour badge will always get in around here.
You get what you deserve.
There's no good reason why potential city-centre investors will hold back until the council moves into Hanley. Either they will or they won't.
I'm half-hoping they don't move in, just to hear Pervez's excuses when it all goes wrong and and saddles us with more Gordon Brown-type debts, such as Bulding Schools for the Future and the Pathfinder House-Destruction scheme. These schools will cost many times more than if we'd left perfectly good buildings in palce and paid for improvements outright, and it's our grandchildren who will still be paying for them after they've been knocked down again.. AND WE DON'T EVEN OWN THE BUILDINGS - these PFI contracts are being peddled and sold like commodities and shares, because the holders know they are a license to print money.
Labour - building even more debts for the future.
Spread the councils services and jobs around the city - don't centralise it in Hanley or the other towns will clearly die off.
I'll sign off with one last question for you to mull over - when the current Civic Centre was built, how many years did the council say it would last? Are they givng you the same BS over this new £40 million white elephant?”
by camband
Wednesday, October 31 2012, 10:13PM
“You cannot be expected to have the same sense of identity and heritage and belonging to a city -and it historic buildings if you are born and raised in another Country or County.
Mohammed Pervez, -from the sub-continent, whether he be competent as a Council Administrator/Politician or not -will not have the same visceral relationship with such as our Town Hall -The Kings Hall Stoke, as we who were born here in the city and its neighbouring villages, and raised here and grew up with it -as one of the central civic features of the landscape and our consciousness, as neither can someone like VAN DE LARSCHOTT -a Devon boy born and bred -and who came here only to earn a good hefty salary and gain some prestige for to add to his cv before 'moving on' to the next top job -these people are ambitious if nothing else.
There's no 'affection' -no connection of historic significance for either of them -and that's to be expected. But these two people should not be in any position whatsoever to direct or have any influence on such as SELLING OFF THIS BUILDING.
IT'S OURS, IT BELONGS TO US. WE SHOULD HAVE A SIT IN -TAKE IT OVER AND BARRICADE OURSELVES IN. FLY THE STAFFORDSHIRE KNOT FROM THE MAST.”
by warren-lloyd
Wednesday, October 31 2012, 6:10AM
“You really don't understand. all you go rabbiting on about is change, witch most of us know, some Stokes don't like. they like pots and Oatcakes and telling stories of how Granny dropped a teapot she swiped from work in 190dot dot dot.”
by gormhenghast
Tuesday, October 30 2012, 10:49PM
“These buildings are the property of the people of Stoke on Trent, not the property, of some surf boy from Devon, or of the recently arrived eastern gentleman to be disposed of at will. Get lost, go away you are as wanted as bad boil on the A**e. If you believe in democracy put it to a vote, even if you dont we deserve a say in the disposal of OUR assets.”
by allhan1
Tuesday, October 30 2012, 9:21PM
“Just what have the people of this city got to do in order to get these idiots to take note of the feelings of all these objectors.
Come on, they are just riding roughshod over us all.
WE are being held in comptempt by these imbeciles.
THEY HAVE TO BE STOPPED SOMEHOW”
by BucknallMel
Tuesday, October 30 2012, 2:54PM
“I notice the cost of the new Civic Centre move has dropped from £59 million to £40 million in a very short space of time - do they really think we've forgotten already? Of course they do, they have nothing but contempt for us. How about they tell us what the asking price is on these properties and who wants them - as well as the others they plan to sell, like the Potteries Museum and City Central Library?”
by lagu2
Tuesday, October 30 2012, 1:22PM
“This council should be ashamed of themseleves , these are our buildings not theres to sell as they wish.they will be selling part of our history which will never be replaced. and as for selling the civic centre "WHY", stoke on trent people do not want another unity house in hanley, the one for the council is good enough without spending £40 million plus on a new one. i have yet to see a good reason for them to build a new office in hanley, and i will not see one!”