An important development in the commercial property marketplace in Norwich has taken place this week with the announcement of the sale of Westlegate House. The 11 storey tower building, considered by some to be the ugliest building in Norwich (rather harsh) has, however, stood empty for the past 15 years and this has done nothing to enhance its aesthetic appeal. The property was on the market for £1 million, and unconfirmed reports suggest it was acquired for a lesser sum than this.
The tower has been bought by Norwich based FW Properties and London based Soho Estates, though a newly created joint venture vehicle called Westlegate Developments Limited. This is an interesting acquisition for Soho estates, not only due to the nature of the building itself, but also as it represents their first foray outside the capital. Famed for their ownership of Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club, Soho Estates is Chaired by former Mayorial candidate for London, Steven Norris. The deal also represents the first acquisition made by FW Properties, which is run by Ian Fox and Julian Wells and based in Prince of Wales Road.
The redevelopment proposals for this building will generate great interest in a number of areas of the local community. The City Council has planned for some time to improve the general appeal of the area, removing traffic flow from the vicinity being one of the objectives. The Norwich Society has strong views on the proximity and design of the tower in relation to the adjacent All Saint's Church and a thatched cottage, concerns that were presumably not uppermost in the mind of the City's planners, when the design was approved without discussion in 1959.
As a spokesman for the Norwich Society says, we await further developments with bated breath....
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