The Dome in Mildenhall put up for sale with auction starting at £25,000

A unique building that has been left empty for years in a Suffolk town has been put up for sale.

The Dome in Mildenhall, a former sports hall and leisure centre, was closed to the public in June 2021 before it was named in a list of the most captivating heritage sites given listed status by Heritage England in December 2021.

Owned by Suffolk County Council, the Grade II listed building was erected in 1977 using an innovative method, the Bini System, and is one of two such buildings that still exist in the UK, the other being the Edinburgh Dome at Malvern Girls College.

It is on the site of the former Mildenhall College Academy, which has stood empty since the school moved to the Mildenhall Hub in 2021.

SuffolkNews reported in August that community leaders had raised concerns over the ‘sorry state’ of The Dome which has a site area of about 0.44 hectares (1.10 acres).

It has now been listed on Savills with an auction price starting at £25,000.

There is potential for development or change of use to the building, which is subject to necessary consents.

West Suffolk district councillor Andy Neal, who lives in Mildenhall, said: “The Dome is such an iconic and unique building and the possibilities for it are endless.

“Personally, I’d love for it to be a retail outlet and I think a Lidl or Aldi or something like that would be great and it would give some competition to Sainsbury’s.

“As long as the building still retains its uniqueness, I’m hopeful this could be the start of something really good for Mildenhall.”