A former bank building in Welshpool has been sold a day earlier than it was scheduled to go up for auction.
On Tuesday, March 12, the building that used to be home to HSBC in Welshpool, on the corner of Broad Street and Berriew Street, was officially sold, a day ahead of a scheduled online auction.
While the exact amount of the building is yet to be made publicly available, property marketers Auction House North West, confirmed that the final sum was “north of” the guide price of £110,000.
The three storey, Grade II-listed building was believed to have been constructed in 1876 and was home to the Welshpool branch of HSBC until the bank closed its doors in September 2021.
The building remained legally unoccupied, but made the news earlier this year when Dyfed-Powys Police officers carried out a raid on the building, which was revealed to be housing a cannabis farm.
Police later revealed that a “large quantity” of cannabis plants were seized after officers executed a search warrant at the premises which had been left in a "dangerous condition".
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While it is currently unknown what will become of the building, there have been previous attempts to covert the former bank for other uses.
In April 2022, a proposal by HS Property Group to convert the building into six apartments was submitted to Powys County Council. The plans were, as noted by the building’s RightMove page, granted consent by the council for change of use.
The proposal stated: “We do not believe that securing another banking tenant in this building would be a realistic prospect.
“It is self-evident that to keep a listed building in the use for which it was designed is not always the best way to conserve it and the need to manage change is a necessary tactic.
“It is important to recognise that there is a need for a new chapter for the former bank, but one that respects and responds to its heritage and cultural value.”
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