Dance hall earmarked for housing to go under the hammer

A famous live music dance hall in the West Midlands that could become a development for ten homes is to go up for sale at auction later this month.

The Regis Banqueting Suite in Cradley Heath, which was once famous as a dance hall notable for live music acts from around the country, has a guide price of £500,000.

This post-war building currently has three function rooms: the Carlton Suite, with a bar, stage and dance floor that interconnect with the Heartland Suite, also with a bar, and then a smaller room called the Rowley Suite.

Although the venue is suitable to continue as a banqueting suite and dance hall, outline planning permission has been obtained for demolishing the existing property and building ten town houses, subject to conditions.

Gurpreet Bassi, chief executive of Bond Wolfe Auctions, said: “This is landmark entertainments venue that we predict will draw a lot of interest from bidders.

“The outline permission for demolition and erecting ten new homes makes this lot an exciting prospect, although there might be bidders out who would prefer to keep it to its original use.”

Also appearing in the auction at Villa Park on Wednesday 23 October is The Mayfair Suite at Park House in Park Lane, Handsworth, which Bond Wolfe Auctions had previously listed but then withdrawn from its September auction when final details needed to be completed.

The wedding venue has a current gross income of £212,640 a year – representing a healthy yield of 14 per cent based on its auction guide price of £1.5m plus.

The large detached premises are subdivided to include a showroom, industrial units and two flats as well as the wedding and banqueting suites, together with parking spaces for around 70 cars.

Bassi added: “The Mayfair Suite is particularly popular with Asian families seeking a place for large functions.

“The other space included in the lot makes it ideal for a buyer who wants to also develop other profitable uses for manufacturing, storage and residential rentals, subject to planning permission.”