The vacant Wells vehicle garage site, just off the A338 and close to the A31 in Ringwood, south-west Hampshire, has been acquired freehold by local company D R Smith Properties. The new owners will be refurbishing the premises and seeking a new commercial tenant for the property in the coming months.
A computer-generated image of the vacant Wells vehicle garage site, just off the A338 and close to the A31 in Ringwood, south-west Hampshire. The site has been acquired freehold by local company D R Smith Properties. The new owners will be refurbishing the premises and seeking a new commercial tenant for the property in the coming months.
A vacant commercial site in south-west Hampshire has been acquired by a property investment company.
The off-market purchase by D R Smith Properties, with property consultancy Vail Williams advising the new owner, is the first time since 1928 that ownership of the site in Ringwood has changed hands.
What was formerly the family-run Wells vehicle garage, just off the A338 and close to the A31, is to be turned into a new vehicle showroom or similar.
Ben Duly, an associate for Vail Williams, working out of the Bournemouth office, said: “There are categorically no plans for housing development. D R Smith Properties, who we act for, are committed to keeping the site for employment and have significant inward investment planned.
“The intention is to modernise the site, subject to planning permission, into a new vehicle showroom or similar.
“This is a speculative scheme as no tenant has been secured yet – the process of sourcing an occupier begins in earnest and we anticipate keen interest, given the prominent roadside location linking key commuter routes between Hampshire, Dorset and Wiltshire.”
D R Smith Properties is a family business which is headquartered in Ringwood and owns and manages various commercial units, industrial yards, residential properties and holiday lodges in Hampshire, Dorset and London.
As a family, the directors of D R Smith Properties recognised Wells Garage as an important historical site within Ringwood and ideally didn’t want to see it demolished.
The firm said: “Wells is now the only survivor of the original garages of Ringwood. The building has been in the area since 1930, when the land was bought by garage founder James W. Wells.
“Since then, the site has survived world wars, been used by the Ministry of Defence where the pumps were commandeered and guarded by the army, and been through depression, recession and changes in government.
“Although over the years the site has expanded, the main building is still as it was all those years ago. As a company we wish to recognise this and keep a bit of Ringwood history alive, honouring the Wells family name.
“With this in mind, D R Smith Properties will be refurbishing the premises and intends to seek a new commercial tenant for the property in the coming months, whilst actively seeking similar sites of interest to protect the history of Ringwood.”
Wells Garage sits between Salisbury Road, Linbrook Court and Northwood Road and is just off the A338, the main road between Ringwood and Salisbury which links to the A31 between Bournemouth, Poole, the West and Southampton.
The year 1928 show the demonstration in Glasgow of the world’s first colour TV transmission, Alexander Fleming accidentally discovered penicillin – the antibiotic went on to save countless lives from infection – and the Tyne Bridge opened.
