Hippodrome site back up for auction – now with planning permission for ‘re-energising’ development

The site of a former town centre cinema is set to go under the hammer next month, despite being sold at auction last year.

The Hippodrome site, on Henblas Street, has been long vacant with it locally rumoured for development over recent years.

The site was sold for £98,000 plus fees at auction early last year.

The land itself is currently cleared and secured and had a planning consent granted in 2006 (which has now lapsed) for the demolition of old building and construction of A1 commercial units.

Built in 1909, the cinema closed its doors for the final time in 1997. However in 2008 the building burnt down in a mystery fire – with the land sitting vacant and fenced off ever since.

The above images are taken last week, with the below being images from last year that had colourful designs of what could be built on the site, now removed – with fences broken.

Last autumn Wrexham.com reported that an application, had been lodged on behalf of Hindle Property Investment Ltd, in a bid to ‘re-energise and inject investment’ into the former Hippodrome Cinema.

Details submitted to Wrexham Council at the time explained that the development was: “Aimed at a range of occupiers including entry market level for those wanting to work locally within Wrexham, resident students or down-sizers wanting smaller or more manageable accommodation with access to local facilities and for residents that are not yet in car ownership and/or don’t require a car – hence living in the town centre for work, transport links and amenities.”

It added that the applicant “recognises the importance of the high street as a focus for retail development and uses that are complementary to this.”

Such plans for the site were approved in April 2019, with planning permission for a mixed use development consisting of 10 studio apartments and three one bedroom apartments and ground floor retail space given the go ahead through what seems to be a delegated decision.

Next month the site will go up under the hammer with the newly approved planning permission with a guide price of £130,000.

At the last auction the lot before the Hippodrome site was 6-8 Henblas Street, which is a retail unit comprising of a two storey terraced retail unit, with sales to the ground floor and storage to the first floor. At the time that lot had no interest and did not sell – despite having the guide dropped prior to the auction, and an opening invitation of £90,000 as a starting bid. According to data via the Land Registry it appears that property sold for £70,000 .