Former health centre in Black Country with plans for hotel conversion in Bond Wolfe auction

A former health centre in the Black Country which was once lined up for conversion into a hotel is appearing in Bond Wolfe’s next property auction.

Lantern House at 129 to 130 Lichfield Street in Walsall town centre will have a guide price* of £330,000+ at the live-streamed property auction on Thursday, 18 May.

Ian Tudor, commercial auction director at Bond Wolfe, explained that the property is a valuable freehold town centre redevelopment opportunity considered suitable for a wide variety of alternative uses, subject to planning permission.

Mr Tudor said: “Lantern House has a prominent double fronted, part three-storey building which stands on an approximately rectangular shaped site extending to circa 0.24 acres.

“We understand the property was previously used as offices and a health centre, although it was granted planning permission for conversion into a 40-bedroomed budget hotel in 2019.

“This consent included plans for a two-storey side and two-storey rear extension, with increased roof height and rear-facing dormer windows to the existing building.

“The current owners had also had initial discussions with a leading provider of houses of multiple occupations (HMOs).

“The property is certainly considered suitable for a wide variety of alternative uses, including wholesale development of the site, subject to planning permission.”

Lantern House is located to the east side of Lichfield Street in the town centre, a popular mixed commercial environment with a large Morrisons supermarket to the rear of the property and numerous professional offices, shops, restaurants and pubs nearby.

Walsall is approximately nine miles north-west of Birmingham and seven miles east of Wolverhampton and has excellent access to the national motorway network via junction 10 of the M6.

Mr Tudor added: “All interested parties should make their own enquiries of the planning department within Walsall Council regarding any proposed future use.”

Lantern House is one of 184 lots appearing in Bond Wolfe’s next auction property, which is due to start at 9 am on Thursday, 18 May.

The property auction will be live-streamed via Bond Wolfe’s website with remote bidding by proxy, telephone or Internet.

For more details and to register to bid visit www.bondwolfe.com/property-auctions-west-midlands/ or email [email protected], or call 0121 312 1212 or 01902 928 510.