Incredible prices were recorded as potential bidders packed a saleroom to bid for their own piece of England or Wales.
Auctioneers Halls sold nine pieces of redundant land, owned by Severn Trent Water, located across Worcestershire, Shropshire and Powys at the very successful public auction on Friday October 14.
An inviting guide price of £200 on seven of the lots attracted national publicity and huge interest from prospective buyers who paid between £600 and £8,200 to become landowners. The nine lots ranged from former district service reservoir sites to a former pumping station site.
Top price of Severn Trent Water lots was £100,000 for half an acre of land at the rear of Station Road, Wem, which had planning potential for up to five homes. The extensive Severn Trent rural portfolio is managed by Halls/Lambert Smith Hampton through Halls commercial and residential estate agents’ Worcester office.
Halls partner Anthony Champion, who leads the team, said: “This was a fantastic result and is a very satisfactory conclusion to this phase of asset disposals on behalf of Severn Trent.”
Individual prices for the former reservoir sites were £8,200 for 0.08 acres at Byrnderwen, near Llanfyllin, £4,200 for 0.10 acres at Berriewood, Condover, near Shrewsbury, £4,100 for 0.38 acres at Snedshill, Telford, £3,200 for 0.05 acres at Cleobury North, near Bridgnorth, £800 for 0.06 acres at Bucknell, near Craven Arms, £700 for 0.10 acres at Cwmllinau, Cemmaes Road, near Machynlleth and £600 for 0.02 acres at Mayhill, Knighton on Teme, near Tenbury Wells.
A former pumping station site covering 34 square metres at Abermule, near Montgomery sold for £1,000.
Halls’ chairman Peter Willcock said: “The auction attracted huge interest but nobody could have predicted the level of prices achieved on the day.
“Some people were looking at the latent potential of the land while others just wanted to buy their own a piece of England or Wales. The price achieved for 0.08 of an acre at Llanfyllin was incredible. What is great for Severn Trent Water is that all the lots sold and there was strong bidding for every lot. Selling by auction is a brilliant way to find the true market value of property.
“Severn Trent Water should be praised for having the confidence in a well known firm of auctioneers in Shropshire to promote and sell their property, which gave local people the chance to fulfil their ambition to buy their own piece of land.”
The auction also included two other properties not owned by Severn Trent. Rainow, Wem Lane, Prees Green, Whitchurch, a three bedroomed house requiring modernisation, sold for its guide price of £120,000.
Mayfield, Breden Heath, near Whitchurch, a two bedroomed property with outbuildings set in nearly seven acres of land, sold for £265,000, in excess of its guide price. This property had fallen into an advanced state of disrepair and required either renovation or demolition and rebuilding.