Police station auction halted

A councillor has welcomed news that Chadderton’s old police station has been withdrawn from auction today.

The Edwardian building in Victoria Street was due to be auctioned by Pugh and Company of Preston but has been withdrawn by the Greater Manchester Police Authority.

It will now be marketed as part of a Chadderton town centre scheme which also includes the old Carnegie library, and former sports centre and baths, in Middleton Road, if councillors approve the plan.

Councillor Dave Hibbert, shadow cabinet member for regeneration and chairman of the Chadderton District Partnership, said: “I’m pleased it has been withdrawn because it increases the opportunity for a wider range of options for the site.

“It would have been harder to market the site with a quarter of it under someone else’s control. One of the lessons I’ve learned in regeneration is the best form of control is ownership.”

The station closed in October, 2006 when police bosses branded it obsolete and a new building opened on the Broadway Business Park. Councillor John McCann, cabinet member for regeneration, said: “An agreement has been reached between the council and police authority to market the entire site as a single lot to ensure the successful development is sustainable and sympathetic to the area. Recently the old police station was advertised as being up for auction as a single lot. This was an administrative oversight by GMPA that has since been corrected.”

Councillors will be asked to approve plans to sell off the properties next week, and a preferred developer could be appointed in the new year.