commercial property lambert smith hampton

News - 13/11/2012

Substantial interest in sale of Warwickshire Police HQ

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The sale of a 61-acre estate including the former headquarters of Warwickshire Police has generated interest from more than 60 potential investors and developers.

We have been instructed to market the historic Grade II listed former home of Warwickshire Police and the surrounding estate, which could be sold as a whole or divided into up to seven lots, including the option of the present operational communications building to remain on the site.

Attractive redevelopment opportunities

Jon Hinton, Senior Surveyor in our Agency team, said the Leek Wootton site – which has outline planning consent for a care village - is suitable for a range of potential developments including residential, education, a hotel and offices.

He said: “We always expected there to be significant interest from investors and developers in this site because it provides a whole host of excellent commercial or residential redevelopment opportunities.
“However, we have been inundated with enquiries and within just a few days of announcing the sale we had been contacted by more than 60 interested parties including care home operators, property developers and investment funds.”

The Leek Wootton estate – which was mentioned in the Domesday Book – totals around 61 acres of attractive grounds including 21 acres of woodland, tennis courts and a variety of buildings, next to The Warwickshire Golf and Country Club.

The main house – Grade II listed Woodcote House – was built in 1861 as a family country home. It was used as a convalescent home for injured US servicemen in World War Two, before being purchased by Warwickshire County Council in 1947. It became Warwickshire Police’s headquarters two years later and remained so until February last year. A police communications centre on the site may continue to operate.

Rationalisation initiative to reduce spending by £22.9 million

The site at Leek Wootton is being sold as part of the force’s plan to reduce spending by £22.9 million by March 2015 without impacting on the level of service provided to the public.

The additional sites that were earmarked for disposal under the force’s estate rationalisation initiative include the 1.37 acre Coleshill Police station site on the A446, together with police stations at Alcester, Henley-in-Arden, Warwick and Wellesbourne.

Pictured (from left): Jon Hinton, Senior Surveyor at LSH, joins Clive Phillips, Head of Estates Development at Warwickshire Police, at the force's former HQ in Leek Wotton.

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