Civic offices site sold to Asda
Wednesday 11th March 2009, 10:54AM GMT.
Bosses at Telford & Wrekin Council have agreed to sell its civic offices to supermarket giant Asda in a multi-million pound deal.
The proposed sale of the prime town centre site is seen by the council as an important part of its ambitious plans to bring Telford Town Centre into the 21st century.
The deal was agreed by the council’s cabinet on Monday and paves the way for the relocation of the offices and 860 employees based there.
Marketing of the Civic Offices site began last year and, after evaluation, a shortlist of bidders were chosen with Asda recommended as the preferred bidder.
The council said today it could not disclose any further information about the bids because of “commercial confidentiality”.
Asda, which has a store in the town centre as well as Donnington Wood in Telford, will now prepare its proposals for the site and a planning application is expected to be submitted in the coming months.
The proposals could include a mixed use development, which may incorporate residential, retail and offices.
Councillor Andrew Eade, council leader, said: “This is another huge step forward in our plans for the regeneration of the borough and in making Telford a vibrant town centre.
“The quality of the bids received for the site is a clear signal of the confidence the business community has in the borough and in its future.
“We are now on the verge of delivering a scheme which has been talked about for many years and to provide best value for the residents of the borough. Through an open marketing process we have ensured we have met our legal and moral duty to achieve this.
“This council is determined to be a modern, efficient and effective organisation which delivers high quality services to the community.”
Chris Marlow, Asda property communications manager, said: “We are delighted to have been chosen as the successful bidder for the regeneration of the civic offices site. This gives us the opportunity to provide our customers with a better shopping experience, but also provides job security to colleagues at our existing store.
“We will now prepare our proposal for the site and look forward to discussing this with local representatives and the community later in the year.”
A report will be presented to the council’s cabinet later this year detailing options and recommendations for future civic offices.
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Does this mean ASDA will want to move out of the Apollo and Hawk owned Shopping Centre area – does this perhaps scupper some of their plans for ‘the round’.
It’s my opionion that if anyone can make a go of Telford ‘town centre’ as a retail, lesuire and entertainment hub it’s apollo and hawk, not the Council.
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Walmart sliding their feet under the British cultural table. Won’t affect me though. Have a nice day, missing you already……
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Good and bad points to this… it will be easier access and probably free parking but as I have to use the access road to the site already I am not happily awaiting the hell on earth that will be trying to get out of our car park, it is bad enough at christmas with the traffic flow but to have it nearly everyday well!!!
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nah, you av it all wrong, asda want to take over the housing benefit and council tax really, they already have car insurance, mobile phone networks and home insurance, why not get a buy one years rent and get one free. they do say there the cheapest round, just think, self checkout on your rent!
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Today “Locals” rarely get the representation, vision or management they deserve. Asda, Primark and a Take Away, is no encouragement of local enterprise or community spirit and has little to do with a 21st Century Telford that I wish to see.
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Good news at least the eyesore which is the council offices will be demolished
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Can you imagine if they built a supermarket there and offered free parking? The car park would be manic and be full by 8:30am every day with shoppers using the free parking without actually shopping there.
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I wonder if there will be a period of transition? Like we will be able to pop into Malinslee House and buy a bag of sprouts while paying our council tax?
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terry has a point, but think, they will properly be monitoring the car park, they may have system where you still get a ticket from the entrance, but after you have done your shopping, they stamp your ticket or something, but wont stamp it if you have just brought choclate bar and have a load of shopping from other shops.
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Great news. Appolo and Hark now really cheesed off and one more nail in the coffin of district centres.
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So where does this leave the plans for the town centre? I thought the whole area from Malinslee House down to the International Centre was being turned into a ‘high street’, with Bars and Cafe’s, Boutiques and Flats? I take it we’re just going to have another Asda now?
The town centre needs a soul, and ‘the round’ plans seemed to have been able to provide it.
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So this is the council`s vision of a vibrant cultural and leisure attraction that will be the envy of the west midlands ?
Another large telford project done on the cheap, except , that is, the brand new building the council comittee will award themselves.
Well Done !
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Well done ASDA maybe if the charges were not so high for car parking they might have stayed but town centre is going to become a ghost town with big firms moving out of the centre due to the parking cost
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will the council lower our rip off council tax bill,will they heck,i bet they put the money to good use,like there big fat penisons etc,and as for asda good on ya rip off parking charges at the centre,but mr j why would anyone want to but rent half the county get it free anyway it’s only us stupid taxpayers and hard workers who pay.
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I don’t think just a supermarket will be acceptable on this site. Asda have been known to engage in significant mixed use developments like the Spiral Tower proposal in Birminghamso whatever they have planned could be big.
I wouldn’t get your hopes up for free parking returning though, its frowned upon these days in town centres, in fact it wouldn’t surprise me if very litle parking i proposed and if it is it’ll be multi storey or underground.
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good stuff, lets demolish it an rebuild a better telford
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we should sell off more public buildings, and sack the staff, then we will not need such high councul tax
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i hope it stimulates development, well done to telford & wrekin council for promoting new build, the whole area needs rebuilding over time, so this is a good start
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