Auction of former Hippodrome site postponed until next month

The auction of a former theatre site in Wrexham town centre been postponed.

The Hippdrome land, located on Henblas Street, was set to go under the hammer with a guide price of £130,000 yesterday.

However details listed on the Pugh Auctions website, state that the lot had been postponed and will now feature in the July listings.

It is not the first time that the site has gone to auction, having been sold for £98,000 plus fees at the start of 2018.

Since then planning permission has been granted via a delegated decision by Wrexham Council for a mixed use development of 10 studio apartments, three one bedroom apartments and ground floor retail space.

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.”

Built in 1909, the cinema closed its doors for the final time in 1997. But the site of the former theatre has been vacant for more over a decade after the building burned down in 2008.

Also up for auction was the site of the former Peppers nightclub on Bridge Street, however the lot did not meet the reserve price of £145,000.

Peppers, which was located on Bridge Street, had sat vacant for a number of years and was used most recently in 2013 as a Christmas Welfare Centre – providing assistance to those in need during nights out.

However the building was demolished four years ago after planning permission to redevelop the site into 10 flats over three storeys and a restaurant on the ground was granted in 2014.