5 Thurnham Street, Lancaster, Lancashire, LA1 1XU

LOCATION

The property occupies a high-profile position on the corner of the A6 Thurnham Street and Aalborg Place in Lancaster City Centre, North Lancashire, in the North West of England.

Lancaster is a historic and cultural city with a central population of 52,234 (2011 Census) and a wider district population of 138,375 encompassing several settlements including Morecambe. It is the County Town of Lancashire having excellent communications from the M6 motorway Junction 33 to the south and Junction 34 to the north. Lancaster Central Train Station is situated on the west side of the city centre and provides good access being on the West Coast Railway Line running between London Euston and Glasgow.

The City has a highly successful public research university, The University of Lancaster, established as a new university in the 1960s initially based at St Leonard's Gate in the City Centre before moving to a 300-acre purpose-built campus at Bailrigg, approximately 3 miles south of Lancaster City Centre in 1968. There are over 11,986 students from 142 countries, and it is thought to be responsible for contributing at least £125 million per year into the local area.

The University has been ranked No.10 in The Complete University Guide 2024 and No.11 in The Guardian University Guide 2024 and is 122nd in the QS World University Rankings 2024, being recognised as a leading university for international students, having established global partnerships worldwide and also gained approval in January 2024 for a new campus in Indonesia, which will accommodate up to 1,500 students and 100 staff. The University of Cumbria also has a Campus in Lancaster offering courses including health, sport and education and has approximately 1,640 students on campus.

There is a lively City Centre which offers a wide range of local and national retailers as well as a number of bars, restaurants and hotels.

Thurnham Street forms part of the A6 and the one way route down the east side of Lancaster City Centre travelling from the north end and Junction 34 of the M6 and continues south to the Bailrigg Campus of Lancaster University, circa 3 miles away and on to Junction 33 of the M6, approximately 5 miles away. The A6 also travels to the north going round the west outskirts of the city centre, also providing a one way route to the north of the city, to Morecambe around 2 miles away and Junction 34 of the M6, 3 miles away. The Royal Lancaster Infirmary is circa 150 metres to the south and Lancaster Central Train Station, around 400 metres to the northwest.

The property is situated on the east side of Thurnham Street and at the south end around 150 metres from the junction with Aldcliffe Road where the A6 crosses Lancaster Canal and bares north forming the west side of the one-way system and also travels to the south areas of Lancaster. The surrounding area is very much mixed-use, being of commercial, secondary retail, leisure and residential. Dalton Square which is a popular leisure and professional area, is 100 metres to the north and Penny Street, which is the main retail thoroughfare is 150 metres to the north west. Lancaster courthouse is immediately adjacent on Aalborg Place, as well as the Auction Mart Car Park with 164 spaces.



DESCRIPTION

The property comprises an attractive and imposing three-storey, stone building with a multi-pitched slate roof, accessed directly from Thurnham Street with stone steps up to a central timber door that opens up to an atrium and is arranged internally as follows:

Ground Floor

An internal atrium leads into a reception with doors off to meeting rooms, a kitchen and disabled WC.

The modern reception has carpeted flooring, plaster painted walls, suspended ceiling with downlighting and a heating/cooling cassette unit, customer waiting area, timber framed double glazed sliding sash window and built-in reception desk.

Meeting Room - fitted with modern carpeted flooring, plaster painted walls, suspended ceilings with recessed diffused lighting, wall mounted heating/cooling units and timber framed double glazed sliding sash windows.

Disabled WC - non-slip vinyl flooring, plaster painted walls, suspended ceiling with downlighting and extractor fan, WC, assisted rails and emergency pullcord, low level hand wash basin and electric hand dryer.

Kitchen - continuation of the carpeted flooring, plaster painted walls, suspended ceiling with recessed diffused lighting, wall and floor mounted units, stainless steel sink, worktop and wall mounted heating/cooling unit.

Offices - continuation of the carpeted flooring, plaster painted walls and suspended ceiling with recessed diffused lighting.

There is a rear fire door providing access to the car park and courtyard behind the building.


First Floor

An internal staircase adjacent to the reception leads up to a first floor lobby with doors off to male and female WCs and offices to either side of the building.

Offices - carpeted flooring, plaster painted walls and ceilings, recessed downlighting, timber framed double glazed sliding sash windows and radiators.

Male WC - tile flooring, plaster painted walls, suspended ceiling with recessed lighting and extractor fan, WC, wash hand basin and radiator.

Female WC - tile flooring, plaster painted walls, suspended ceiling with recessed lighting and extractor fan, WC, wash hand basin set within a vanity unit and radiator.

Kitchen - recently refurbished and fitted out with tile flooring, plaster painted walls, suspended ceiling with recessed lighting and extractor fan, wall and floor mounted units and stainless steel sink and drainer.


Second Floor

The central staircase continues up to the rear of the second floor with doors off either side to further open plan and cellular office accommodation.

Offices - fitted out to a high standard with carpet tile flooring, plaster painted walls, suspended ceiling with recessed fluorescent lighting, timber framed double glazed sliding sash windows and wall mounted radiators.

Kitchen - tile flooring, plaster painted walls, suspended ceiling with recessed downlighting and extractor fan, wall and floor mounted units and stainless steel sink and drainer.

Shower Room - wood effect vinyl flooring, tile walls, shower cubicle with electric shower.

WCs - wood effect vinyl flooring, tile walls, wash hand basin set in a vanity unit and WC.

Externally, to the front, there is a small and narrow hardscaped terrace and to the rear, there are 6 car parking spaces situated within a secure shared tarmacadam courtyard accessed from Aalborg Place.


ACCOMMODATION

Gross Internal Areas

Ground Floor 148.84m2 (1,602 sq ft)

First Floor 149.15m2 (1,605 sq ft)

Second Floor 148.92m2 (1,603 sq ft)

Total Approximate Gross Internal Area 446.91m2 (4,810 sq ft)

Net Internal Areas

Ground Floor 136.56m2 (1,470 sq ft)

First Floor 129.01m2 (1,389 sq ft)

Second Floor 139.46m2 (1,501 sq ft)

Total Approximate Net Internal Area 405.03m2 (4,360 sq ft)

SERVICES

The property is connected to mains electricity, gas, water and the mains drainage/sewerage system.

Heating and hot water is provided via a gas fired Vailliant boiler supplying radiators of mixed age throughout the first and second floors and ground floor heating and cooling is via wall and ceiling mounted comfort cooling cassette units.

The offices have a fob entry security system which can be programmed to control occupiers/tenants access to each floor and rooms.

It should be noted that the services have not been tested and therefore should not be relied upon.



RATEABLE VALUE

The property has the following Rateable Value assessments:

5 Thurnham Street £26,750
5A Thurnham Street £9,900

Some parts of the premises may qualify for small business rate relief subject to meeting the relevant criteria and prospective purchasers should make their own enquiries direct to the Business Rates Department at Lancaster City Council.

ENERGY PERFORMANCE CERTIFICATE

The property has an Energy Efficiency Rating of C73 and the certificate is valid until 23 April 2028. A copy is available on application or to download from the Government's online EPC database.


OPPORTUNITY

The building is suitable for a variety of purchasers, including owner occupiers, investors who can let out the offices either as a whole or each floor separately, or potentially subject to planning, redevelopment into residential accommodation.


PROPOSAL

The property is offered freehold (Title Number: LA898223) at a guide price of £750,000 exclusive.


MONEY LAUNDERING LEGISLATION

Edwin Thompson is bound to comply with Anti-Money Laundering legislation including obtaining evidence of the identity and proof of address of potential buyers. Prior to an offer being accepted, interested parties will need to provide the requested evidence.

Breakout and GF Office Here


EASEMENTS, WAYLEAVES AND RIGHTS OF WAY

The land and property are sold subject to and with the benefit of all public and private rights of way, lights, drainage, cables, pylons or other easements, restrictions or obligations whether or not the same are described in these particulars of sale.


VAT

The Seller has advised that the land and property are VAT registered and therefore VAT is payable on the sale consideration.



LEGAL COSTS

Each party to bear their own legal costs in the preparation and settlement of the sale documentation together with any VAT thereon.


VIEWING

The property is available to view by prior appointment with Edwin Thompson LLP. Contact:

John Haley or Ellie Oakley


IMPORTANT NOTICE

Edwin Thompson for themselves and for the Vendor/Landlord of this property, whose Agents they are, give notice that:
1. The particulars are set out as a general outline only for the guidance of intending purchasers and do not constitute, nor constitute part of, any offer or contract.
2. All descriptions, dimensions, plans, reference to condition and necessary conditions for use and occupation and other details are given in good faith and are believed to be correct, but any intending purchasers should not rely on them as statements or representations of fact but must satisfy themselves by inspection or otherwise as to their correctness.
3. No person in the employment of Edwin Thompson has any authority to make or give any representation or warranty whatsoever in relation to this property or these particulars, nor to enter into any contract relating to the property on behalf of the Agents, nor into any contract on behalf of the Vendor.
4. No responsibility can be accepted for loss or expense incurred in viewing the property or in any other way in the event of the property being sold or withdrawn.
5. These particulars were prepared in September 2024.