One of Truro’s premier landmark sites is under offer after being put on the market for £3.5m.

The Old County Hall off Station Road is on its way to being sold after a yet unidentified buyer made an offer.

On its website the site is described by the agent Lewis Haughton Wills as a large development site for sale or a joint venture development.

It offers 2.2 acres of land split into two parts - a large prominent building for conversion plus adjacent a large area and similar floor area for a brand-new build.

Lewis Haughton Wills says the site has many schemes which would be viable as a favoured pre-application from Cornwall Council. 

“The most profitable and robust scheme is residential apartments ranging from one to two bedrooms approximately 100 to 150 apartments over the two builds," they said. 

“This scheme will be most viable for the fantastic location and meet the needs of the local community.”

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The building was designed in 1890 by TB Silcock and the county council and is a grand grade 2 listed building, constructed of local materials.

The site was originally used as the administrative centre for Cornwall Council until it moved to New County Hall in July 1966. Up until when it was sold it was used by Cornwall Records office. 

It was bought in 2012 by the owner of St Michael’s Hotel in Falmouth, Nigel Carpenter.

The following year plans were lodged and approved to turn the 2.2 acre site into a new 4 star deluxe flagship spa-hotel for Truro.

The proposals included the conversion of Old County Hall into a 42-bedroom hotel with associated facilities, the construction of 23 apart-hotel suites on the existing car park, the demolition of buildings east of the main building with 12 residential units built in their place and the conversion of the coach-house to create a further two residential units.

Much of the ground floor was to become a destination spa with eight treatment rooms, beauty salon, large hydrotherapy pool, relaxation areas and several different types of steam room. The beautiful old debating chamber was to become an 80 seater brasserie with bar and lounges nearby.

It had been hoped that the hotel would open in 2014 and create around 100 new jobs, but it was not to be.

In 2015 Mr Carpenter put it back on the market for £3m. It was bought by Wolf Rock (Cornwall) which was wound up in 2019.