Sale of Broadland HQ Thorpe Lodge hits new hurdles

Broadland Council has been attempting to sell off Thorpe Lodge - a vast site that includes a Grade II listed stately home and nuclear bunker - since July 2022.

It followed the authority moving in with South Norfolk Council at their new site at the Horizon Centre at Broadland Business Park that year.

However, councillors have now admitted the property may not sell for as much as they hoped. 

Thorpe Lodge, on Yarmouth Road near Norwich, continues to be on the market and is advertised by estate agent Bidwells. It has yet to secure a buyer after two years. 

While Broadland Council had initially hoped to secure £2.5m from its sale, it seems the authority may be forced to accept lower offers to get the deal over the line. 

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Steve Riley, a Lib Dem councillor, said: "We've got to develop and be creative in how we produce and provide capital because there isn't much headroom.

"The budget line on Thorpe Lodge is £2.5m but all indications are that it will sell for less than that."

Broadland Council spent £7.1m together with South Norfolk Council to buy their new HQ from Aviva at Broadland Business Park.

The Horizon Business Centre at the Broadland Business Park (Image: Denise Bradley) Previously, the lack of a sale has been blamed on a stagnated property market caused by a rise in interest rates. Options considered for the site over the years include a housing scheme, retirement complex, community hall or commercial use. 

The council has declined to comment on how many offers of interest they've received for the site thus far - citing "commercial sensitivity". 

Meanwhile, this incomplete sale is putting financial pressure on the council, which still has to pay holding fees funded through reserves.

The council's 2024/25 budget estimated these costs to be in the region of £70,000.