A disused underground reservoir that was due to feature on hit television show “Grand Designs” but then abandoned is up for auction at a minimum opening bid of £600,000.
Ridley Reservoir in Alsager had been the focus of a development project to convert the drained site into a luxurious private home.
It was decommissioned in the 1960s and had planning permission approved for a luxurious four-bedroomed property in March 2019.
The current owner set the foundations for the 8,000sqm build and excavated for the walls and driveway. The scheme also included a living space in a refurbished buried water tank, a swimming pool, cinema and roof terrace.
“Grand Designs” presenter Kevin McCloud visited the site, off Merelake Road, during filming for the Channel Four show. But after a year of groundwork, the project was abandoned by the owners who put it on the market earlier this year with an asking price of £850,000.
Now, the unfinished development is to go under the hammer £250k cheaper. A 24-hour online auction will get underway on 22nd January at 1pm with the prospective purchaser having the chance to create a “one-of-a-kind dream home”. Bidders have 24 hours to enter bids.
The reservoir backs on to Alsager golf course and is surrounded by open countryside.
The listing does not say how much it would cost to complete the build of the planned house but images show an uninhabitable underground ex-industrial space with exposed breezeblock walls and damp concrete floors.
Auction House Cheshire, Staffordshire and Shropshire said: “This is a project for someone with great vision, boasting over 8,000sqm of property. Set in rural part of Alsager with extensive views, it has development potential perfect for a builder/developer or homeowner looking for their family home to make their own.”
