The Great Stately Internet Auction
A Black Country stately home has been listed on an internet auction site where it will be sold to the highest bidder.
Sandwell Council has placed Corngreaves Hall, an 18th century Grade II listed property, on the open market. Interested parties have been given just a month to put in offers.
A deadline of noon on June 26 has been set to bid for the impressive three storey hall in Corngreaves Road, Cradley Heath, which stands in 1.21 acres of grounds. It was once a grand home but has fallen into a state of disrepair.
The property was built as a home by James Attwood, a local ironmaster, but in recent years it has been plundered by lead thieves and left to rot.
Sealed bids from potential new developers are being collected by Bigwood Chartered Surveyors in Birmingham via the website www.bigwood.uk.com
Anyone who wants to take on the hall is asked to submit their offer, along with details of the proposed use for the building, restoration plans, details of financing and experience in listed building conversions.
Local people had hoped the council would take the building in hand, after £2.1 million was earmarked in this year's budget to bring historic properties in the borough back into use.
But the council has now shelved plans and is instead selling it.
Council finance boss Steve Eling said: "We did set aside £2.1 million in the budget to bring properties such as Corngreaves Hall, Red House in Great Barr and the Manor House in West Bromwich back into use, but there were no figures set aside for each of the projects specifically.
"Corporate property cannot identify a future use for Corngreaves Hall in council ownership and think that the best course of action is to sell it to a developer to turn into flats."
The announcement that the council was trying to sell the hall angered members of the West Midlands Historic Buildings Trust, who wanted it restored before being sold on.
