A FORMER care home, farmland and development land earmarked for hundreds of homes are among the properties being sold off by Worcestershire County Council.
The council’s old County Hall headquarters and a caretaker’s bungalow are also being disposed of by the authority.
Guide prices published by agents for some of the properties total almost £3.5 million, although several sites have no public asking price and the eventual receipts could be higher.
County Hall
CLOSED: County Hall, which has been empty since 2024, is being sold off by the council (Image: Phil Wilkinson-Jones/LDRS)
The biggest potential disposal is County Hall.
The council published a statutory notice in July saying it intends to dispose of all or part of the sprawling Spetchley Road site, covering up to approximately nine hectares.
No details of a buyer, sale price or redevelopment proposals have yet been published – but councillors and residents have come up with plenty of suggestions as to how to use the site, with the idea of expanding the nearby Worcestershire Royal Hospital coming up again and again.
Rushwick development land
PLANS: Councillors Matt Lamb and Richard Udall at the Hams Way site in Rushwick, which they would like to see used for a new school (Image: Submitted)
One of the most significant sites on the market is about 17.5 acres of land off Hams Way in Rushwick.
The site forms part of the South Worcestershire Development Plan Review (SWDPR) allocation for the Rushwick Expanded Settlement, a major scheme for around 1,000 homes, employment land, a railway station, primary school and shops.
The county council’s sale particulars describe it as a development and employment land opportunity.
Councillors have argued the land should instead be a perfect location for a new Worcester secondary school .
The sale particulars show the council is inviting bids from developers and land promoters and expects purchasers to work with other landowners and councils to bring forward the wider settlement.
Double Gates Farm, Upton Snodsbury
In Upton Snodsbury, the council is selling a 6.3-acre parcel at Double Gates Farm, promoted as having residential development potential.
Littleworth Farm, Inkberrow
Littleworth Farm near Inkberrow is being sold with a guide price of £975,000 and is currently marked sold subject to contract.
The 43-acre holding includes a character farmhouse, pasture, arable fields and a collection of farm buildings, which are being marketed as having the potential for residential, equestrian or commercial redevelopment, subject to planning permission.
Farmland in Catshill
A 7.5-acre greenfield site near the M42 is being sold by the council.
According to agents Bruton Knowles the land on the edge of Catshill village is currently used for grazing and the site has been considered “suitable for development” in the emerging Bromsgrove District Local Plan.
Former family support centre in Bromsgrove
The Birches, at 98 New Road in Aston Fields, Bromsgrove, is one of the highest-value former council buildings on the market.
The 0.8-acre site is being sold for £995,000 and includes a former Worcestershire County Council family support centre extending to around 7,800 square feet.
The property is being promoted as suitable for residential redevelopment or alternative uses, subject to planning permission.
The site is close to Bromsgrove railway station and the motorway, factors likely to be attractive to prospective developers.
Land next to Rubery Library
FOR SALE: Land next to Rubery Library is being sold off (Image: Google Maps)
A much smaller disposal involves land beside Rubery Library on New Road.
The site extends to around 365 square metres and is being promoted as a potential development opportunity.
Agent particulars suggest it could be suitable for retail, commercial or residential uses, subject to planning policy and planning permission.
The plot lies between the library, neighbouring homes and a retail parade and is being sold freehold with vacant possession.
Former caretaker’s bungalow
In Malvern, the council is selling a former caretaker’s bungalow in Pickersleigh Grove.
The detached two-bedroom property sits next to Grove Primary School on a plot of around 0.2 acres and carries a guide price of £250,000.
The marketing details describe it as requiring refurbishment throughout.
The site is within an established residential area and is being offered for sale by private treaty.
Former short-break care facility
BREAKS: 48 Station Road in Pershore used to be Pershore Short Breaks. It’s now being sold for £500,000 (Image: Google Maps)
Another former public service building being sold is 48 Station Road in Pershore.
The property was previously used by Worcestershire County Council as Pershore Short Breaks, a residential service.
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It is now being offered for sale at £500,000.
The site includes a building of around 5,020 square feet containing bedrooms, communal areas and associated facilities on a 0.35-acre plot within a residential part of the town.
The Pines, Worcester
The council is marketing The Pines, a piece of land off Bilford Road in Worcester, as a residential development opportunity in a sought-after location.
Marketing particulars describe the site as a residential development opportunity in a sought-after area of Worcester. The land off Bilford Road has been identified in the SWDPR and is being promoted to housebuilders and developers.
Care home in Stourport
35 Worth Crescent in Stourport, a care home with nine bedrooms, six bathrooms and 12 parking spaces, is listed with Fisher German at £500,000.
Former church building
FORMER CHURCH: The centre in Radford Avenue, Kidderminster, is among the buildings up for sale (Image: Google Maps)
Radford Avenue Centre, a former church building in Kidderminster, is on the market for £275,000.
According to its listing, it is currently used as a children’s development centre and has two kitchens, cellular rooms and toilet facilities.
Together, the disposals show the scale of the county council’s ongoing review of its property estate, with sites ranging from former care facilities and community buildings to major strategic development land.
Several of the sites are already under offer or sold subject to contract, while others are being marketed as long-term development opportunities.
The sales also come after the council relied on Exceptional Financial Support (EFS) from the Government in consecutive years, allowing it to use capital resources to support its revenue budget.
