Property round-up: Farewell to Wigan Pier nightclub; and more

WIGAN Council is preparing to demolish the building that housed the famous Wigan Pier Nightclub.

It wants to clear the site as part of plans to develop a marina with berths for overnight mooring.

The building, a former Victorian storehouse, was converted forty years ago and became famous for rave and house music nights in the 1990s. It was acquired by the council last year.

Deputy council leader David Molyneux said: “Sadly this has become one of the biggest eyesores in our town and unfortunately it is in one of the most high-profile places. I’m sure there are a lot of people who have happy and slightly hazy memories of good times at the old club yet I’m also sure there will be some who’ll be happy to see the back of it.

“The building is now in a rotten state. We are currently underusing and underselling the whole Wigan Pier area and want to completely transform it and restore its status as one of the most prominent places in the region. That can only really be done if we get rid of this building.”

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A NEW 160,000 sq ft office block in Manchester’s Spinningfields has won planning permission.

Developer Allied London plans to pitch the nine-storey building at those working in the technology and creative sectors.

It first unveiled the idea at the international property convention MIPIM last year as i+, but it has since been renamed the Cotton Building.

The block, on Hardman Boulevard next to the Civil Justice Centre, will boast flexible space where tenants can customise space, essentially taking a shell and choosing the location of partition walls and the services they want.

Allied London’s chief executive Mike Ingall said: “This will be the first building of its kind in the UK. We’re leading a new trend that many aspiring developers are chasing. The Cotton Building will deliver the ultimate in flexible workspace and further strengthens Spinningfields’ offer.”

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THE Manchester office of Colliers International has sold the Esplanade Hotel in Llandudno, which has been owned by the same family for more than 90 years.

Blackpool-based care provider Safehands acquired the four-storey Victorian property from the Payne family for an undisclosed sum from an asking price of £1.2m. It plans to convert the building into a holiday venue for disabled people and their carers.

The 59-bed hotel on the promenade was created from five Victorian townhouses in the 1920s by Jack Payne, the founder of JE Payne Ltd which operated other Llandudno businesses including The Winter Gardens Ballroom and Payne’s Cafe Royal.

His son Charles Payne, who welcomed many dignitaries to the hotel including Labour Prime Minister Harold Wilson and the Duke of Kent, passed the hotel to his daughter and current operator Gwenda McDonald who is retiring from the hotel trade.

Neil Thomson, associate director in the hotels team Colliers, said: “The sales process was carefully managed and a number of parties expressed keen interest in acquiring the hotel. The sale of the Esplanade Hotel completed an exceptionally busy year for our hotels team in Manchester with more than £18m of hotels and guest houses being sold during 2013 in the North West alone.

“The number and value of transactions shows that market conditions are starting to recover for good quality commercial hotels, with North Wales being of particular interest for hotel operators.”