Historic Connaught Rooms in Manningham up for sale

11:00am Wednesday 20th March 2013 in News Photograph of the Author By Claire Armstrong, T&A Reporter

The Connaught Rooms The Connaught Rooms

A Bradford landmark has been put up for sale.

The Grade II Listed Connaught Rooms, in Manningham Lane, is now in the hands of receivers, and the building is being offered for sale without a guide price.

The property, which dates from 1928, was once a Masonic Hall and was most recently used as a wedding venue.

Arranged over four floors and with almost 60,000 sq ft of floor space, the building contains period features including a marble and wood panelled entrance hall and stained glass window in the roof of the 400-capacity main hall.

Commercial property adviser GVA has been appointed as receiver by bank HSBC. It is now marketing the property, which also includes two retail units which front onto Manningham Lane and a parcel of land to the rear.

The firm hopes an investor will either restore the landmark to its former glory as a functions venue or consider developing it into homes or shops.

Andrew Rodger, head of corporate recovery at GVA in Leeds, said: “The Connaught Rooms is an historic venue and a fine example of early 20th century architecture so I expect the sale process to generate strong interest.

“There is great scope for an investor to restore the building to its former glory as a venue for special occasions or to consider an alternative use, perhaps as residential or retail space.”

Planners granted permission for the Connaught Rooms to be converted into 41 residential flats in 2004, subject to a section 106 agreement with Bradford Council. Interested parties are invited to contact Jonathan Rose, at GVA, by calling 0113 280 8084 or email via jonathan.rose@gva.co.uk.

Comments(14)

Albion. says...
11:05am Wed 20 Mar 13

An ideal bazaar site? Wasn't there a guy looking to convert the former Mecca Dance Hall (nearby) a few months back?

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Avro says...
12:26pm Wed 20 Mar 13

Considering that planning permission is already granted for flats, then this would seem to be the most obvious outcome, or an up-market functions venue.

The thought of it ending up as a Bazaar venue would be beyond belief

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queensbury says...
12:41pm Wed 20 Mar 13

The thought of it ending up as a Bazaar venue would be beyond belief

this is bradford so eneything can happen cuury house or drugs den

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loftyme says...
1:35pm Wed 20 Mar 13

If there a large hall inside then it is inevitable what it will become, with planning permission of course!

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basil fawlty says...
2:00pm Wed 20 Mar 13

A historic building like this should ideally retain much of the interior and become a restaurant or private function venue. A major difficulty to is lack of car parking. Even the road down the side has double yellows. A further drawback about the location is clearly that Manningham Lane is a bit run down and has been so since the riots. The Council needs to prioritise the regeneration of this major gateway to the city between Lister Park and the Penny Bank to complement the revival taking place along North Parade.

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Not so simple says...
2:05pm Wed 20 Mar 13

Nice building with plenty of character. However the building is surrounded by ugly,cheap and nasty modern buildings.

I suspect that like most other buildings of historical importance, this will also remain empty for a while, allowed to get ruined and rot away before the infamous rat who burns things pops up!

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Apollo says...
3:57pm Wed 20 Mar 13

I am afraid the Manningham Lane part of the address means the building is unlikely to be valuable in the sense that anyone would actually pay much for it.

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basil fawlty says...
5:54pm Wed 20 Mar 13

A historic building like this should ideally retain much of the interior and become a restaurant or private function venue. A major difficulty to is lack of car parking. Even the road down the side has double yellows. A further drawback about the location is clearly that Manningham Lane is a bit run down and has been so since the riots. The Council needs to prioritise the regeneration of this major gateway to the city between Lister Park and the Penny Bank to complement the revival taking place along North Parade.

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thruth9211 says...
6:05pm Wed 20 Mar 13

Well

Perfect idea to a perfect solution,

Turn the buidling into a hooker institute, will clean the streets of parasites and ugly women that sell their body

wont even cost them bus fair, catch the free service

Bradford cant tackle the filth that these women bring, so why not put them into a safe house and cut their benefits, the cheats

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Not so simple says...
7:55pm Wed 20 Mar 13

Manningham lane is a joke. Run down houses and buildings. Fair few living in the houses are on benefits and prospects of them working are low ( census figures suggest this). Crime is high, drugs run the show, poorly educated people with poor skills. I cannot recall how many "grants" householders have had to do up and modernise their mansions! The whole area resembles a well used lavatory at some gig...full of cr@p and infested with vermin. The place is a dump and is a good signal road to cheap side/broadway which is also a dump. How appropriate.

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MrQuinque says...
12:46am Thu 21 Mar 13

Wait, this is considered news? The sign has been up on the side of the building for months.

The simple fact is that unless the opportunity to purchase Both the connaught rooms AND the former Woods music site, EuroBangla foods and the rest of the block nobody is going to give the site the treatment it deserves.

Who knows, maybe the masons will buy it back this time.

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Keith Carter says...
12:26pm Thu 21 Mar 13

50 years ago I used to play trumpet with dunedin players for dances it was a great place then BUT it must be a dump now with all the scum wandering around and not careing

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JCK/HFX says...
5:50pm Tue 26 Mar 13

this building MUST be saved for posterity and brought back into use. as a Historical and Listed building the Local Authority and central Government ought to have a duty to preserve our heritage. Bradford has lost too many of its original great buildings through stupid decisions having been made in the past. remember the Kirkgate market and prior to that Swan arcade. how those buildings would attract tourists to the City. my great uncle was on the original building committee and he would be horrified to see the situation this grand building is now in. i have the original opening brochure which makes fascinating reading. I hope the grotesque lions have been removed again.

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JCK/HFX says...
12:22pm Wed 27 Mar 13

Reference to the Planning permissions for this property. Approvals for change of use to flats was NOT granted as the application was withdrawn, see Councils website under ref 04/03562/COU. Flats could not be formed without major affects on the heritage of the building especially at ground and first floor levels. The building should be retained for events/restaurant or similar. parking would not be an issue 'cos there's a huge basement garage and limited parking could be available on adjacent roads with agreement with the Council. Maybe provide flats at the upper levels.

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