Property consultant completes deal for new car supermarket

The Car Group is set to open a new car supermarket after acquiring premises in the Wirral, following a deal negotiated by Birmingham property consultancy Vail Williams.

The used vehicle specialist has purchased the 51,355 sq ft Hooton House near Ellesmere Port – a former administrative facility for Vauxhall Motors, for an undisclosed sum.

The eight-acre site includes hardstanding and a deal for an additional 3.5-acre strip of land was also agreed upon with Stellantis, formerly Vauxhall.

The Car Group has since obtained planning permission from Cheshire West and Chester Council to convert the premises to a car supermarket and construct an additional 100,000 sq ft of maintenance bays.

It is thought this will create around 140 jobs, benefiting the local economy.

Carole Taylor, West Midlands Regional Managing Partner at property consultancy Vail Williams, led the team which sourced the site.

She said: “We first met The Car Group when we disposed of a former bus depot in Bury, Greater Manchester to them which they converted into their first car supermarket.

“The company then instructed us to search for sites or premises – typically eight to 10 acres in the north west or north east – which could be converted in to further car supermarkets.

“Following extensive searches we identified Hooton House, which was purchased subject to planning and we subsequently worked with a full design team and successfully obtained planning consent.”

Founded in 2014 and based in Bury, The Car Group is an approved dealership that specialises in quality used cars, with a full range of dealer services including finance, warranties and servicing.

The company stocks more than 500 RAC-approved cars in the UK’s largest indoor heated showroom in Derby Way, Bury and employs more than 60 motor trade professionals.

The Car Group Director Raza Habib said: “We are looking to expand to bring our unique style of showroom and refreshing one-stop shop buying experience to new areas as demand for quality used cars has never been higher.

“It is anticipated construction work will begin shortly. These are exciting times for The Car Group as we seek further strategic growth.”

In the interim Vail Williams and Eddisons, the previous selling agents on the site, are marketing the offices and the hardstanding to let on a short-term basis while preparations for building work take place.