The former Hanley Police Station, located on Bethesda Street, has been sold for £1.25 million to Abode Student and is to be converted into student accommodation. The sale of the former station was handled on behalf of The Police & Crime Commissioner for Staffordshire by the Commercial team at Louis Taylor and proved to be a significant instruction, playing an important part of the regeneration of the local community.
Besides successfully negotiating the sale, the Louis Taylor team handled the entire marketing process for the building, which was purpose built in 1965 and saw active service to the local community up until 2017, when it was finally decommissioned and mothballed.
CEO of Abode Group, Ashley Ladson, said: “We’re delighted to add the former Hanley Police Station to our portfolio. Our developments are of the highest quality and situated in the best locations, providing a premium experience for thousands of local and international students. Hanley is the next stage in that journey.”
Louis Taylor MD Graham Hulse commented: “Louis Taylor are thrilled to have been involved in the disposal of this unusual property asset on behalf of the Staffordshire Police. The sale has generated a great deal of interest and we are very pleased that the purchaser, Abode, intend to re-develop this former police station into high quality accommodation which will continue to enhance this vibrant area of our city.”
Situated in a prime location to the north of the junction between Bethesda Street and Potteries Way (A5008), the Bethesda site has been on the market for a number of years since Staffordshire Police closed the police station.
When the building was considered inefficient, too expensive to operate and too large, officers were relocated to share premises with Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service in a new hub nearby created from the former fire station.
A decision was made by the Staffordshire Commissioner for Police, Fire and Rescue and Crime to bring the two services together under one roof, so both had a good working environment, which also represented best value for the public purse.
Staffordshire’s Commissioner for Police, Fire & Rescue and Crime, Ben Adams said: “In these increasingly challenging times, it makes good financial sense for our police and fire & rescue services to share buildings – especially when they are located just a short walk from each other, as they were in Hanley. Using public money more effectively is a key priority for me, and helps to maintain spending on our emergency services.”
With a gross internal floor area of 4,748. 94 sq m (51,117 sq ft), the building stands on a site area of approximately 0,04 hectares (1 acre), and benefits from excellent onsite parking for approximately 50 vehicles.
Setting up for similar success, the Louis Taylor team have recently been retained to handle the sale of two other properties at 24-28 Glebe Court & Wharf Place in Stoke-on-Trent, which offers another outstanding redevelopment opportunity for the area. This is in close proximity to an exciting new nearby development, The Goods Yard, being undertaken by Capital & Centric as part of the government’s Levelling Up funding which will support enterprise, regeneration and heritage in the city.
As North Staffordshire’s and South Cheshire’s leading commercial property agent, Louis Taylor bring a wealth of experience to dealing with a wide variety of specialist commercial properties offering potential for alternative uses. We’re proud to be part of this exciting period for the city’s redevelopment and expect to see many more properties like this repurposed to help drive a new age of long awaited regeneration.
If you are looking to sell or acquire a property similar to this, Graham and the team are more than happy to support. Please do not hesitate to contact our Commercial team at Louis Taylor on 01782 260 222 or email info@louis-taylor.co.uk.
Graham Hulse, Managing Director
T: 01782 260 222
M: 07928 474859
E: g.hulse@louis-taylor.co.uk