University puts 200-year-old building up for sale
The University of Hull has confirmed plans to sell a 200-year-old former hall of residence, Thwaite Hall.
The hall sits on the corner of Thwaite Street and New Village Road in Cottingham and was closed as a hall of residence in August 2017 in response to changes in students’ accommodation preferences.
It sits on a five acre site and the comprises of 71,150 sq ft buildings. Its parklands and gardens are on the Historic England Register of Historic Parks and Gardens of special historic interest in England.
Stephen Dale, director of estates at the University of Hull, said: “Accommodation is a deciding factor for many when choosing where to study and the University has experienced a shift in demand toward high-quality, on-campus accommodation. We have been investing in our accommodation portfolio as part of our on-going commitment to provide an outstanding experience for students, which includes The Courtyard and Westfield Court on our Cottingham Road campus.”
The University has appointed commercial estate agents Cushman & Wakefield to handle the sale and they are currently working with them to market the property.
Dale added: “Although the University no longer has a use for the building, we are keen to see a long term plan for its future be put in place and have been working closely with the local authority planning department to discuss the potential future use of the site.”
Oliver Salisbury, Senior Surveyor in Cushman & Wakefield’s residential development team, said: “Thwaite Hall presents a rare and exciting opportunity to revitalise a high-profile building within a popular village location. Discussions with the local authority have been positive and indicate that a number of uses are considered appropriate, subject to a high quality design which takes into account the conservation area setting and adjoining Grade II listed botanical gardens.”
