window.dotcom = window.dotcom || { cmd: [] }; window.dotcom.ads = window.dotcom.ads || { resolves: {enabled: [], getAdTag: []}, enabled: () => new Promise(r => window.dotcom.ads.resolves.enabled.push(r)), getAdTag: () => new Promise(r => window.dotcom.ads.resolves.getAdTag.push(r)) }; setTimeout(() => { if(window.dotcom.ads.resolves){ window.dotcom.ads.resolves.enabled.forEach(r => r(false)); window.dotcom.ads.resolves.getAdTag.forEach(r => r("")); window.dotcom.ads.enabled = () => new Promise(r => r(false)); window.dotcom.ads.getAdTag = () => new Promise(r => r("")); console.error("NGAS load timeout"); } }, 5000)
Skip to content

County Hall fails to sell at second auction

Alice Cunningham
BBC News, Suffolk
Alice Cunningham/BBC A view of the external part of Ipswich County Hall. Windows can be seen spanning three storeys while a clocktower can be seen at the end of the building.Alice Cunningham/BBC
Ipswich County Hall has been empty since 2004

A Grade II listed building that once served as a prison, court and council headquarters has failed to sell at auction for a second time.

Ipswich County Hall on St Helen's Street was previously up for auction through Savills on 13 May with a reserve price of £895,000, but no successful bids were placed.

Back up again during an auction that started on Wednesday morning, the bidding did not meet the reserve of £750,000, although a bid of £745,000 was made.

County Hall was where the divorce of Wallis Simpson was granted in 1936 before her marriage to the then King Edward VIII.

Alice Cunningham/BBC A view of the exterior of County Hall in Ipswich. The building is made of large grey bricks and has a similar look to a castle. People can be seen standing outside the building.Alice Cunningham/BBC
There is already planning permission in place to turn County Hall into 40 new flats

The Tudor-style building came with planning permission to convert the site into 40 new flats.

Last year, Ipswich Borough Council voted to approve these plans.

County Hall dates back to 1837 and originally served as a prison and law court before becoming a council building from 1906.

Years later it became the home of Suffolk County Council after its formation in 1974.

In 2004, the council moved its 1,300 staff to new headquarters and the site has remained vacant ever since.

Follow Suffolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.

More on this story