Ipswich county hall, in St Helen’s Street, sells for ‘just shy’ of asking price

Suffolk County Council’s iconic former headquarters in Ipswich has been sold after two failed auctions.

Savills has confirmed that Ipswich County Hall, in St Helen’s Street, was snapped up for ‘just shy’ of its asking price of £895,000.

Sam Steinberg, of Savills Auctions, said: “We’re pleased to have successfully secured a buyer for the historic Ipswich County Town Hall.

“The sale was agreed post-auction and achieved a price just shy of its guide.”

Ipswich County Hall has planning permission to be turned into as many as 40 flats.

This was green lit last year, despite the proposals being deemed commercially unviable.

A report estimated the gross development value of the project would be £10,361,115, while gross development costs sat at £11,307,317.

This followed drafts for plans at the site from 2018, which were never finalised.

Ipswich County Hall was built in 1836 as a jail.

Later, it served as a law court and offices and was where Wallis Simpson divorced her husband Ernest, allowing her to marry Edward, Duke of Windsor.

Following this, it was the home of East Suffolk County Council and, from 1974, Suffolk County Council before it moved to Endeavour House.