West Sussex landmark Queensmere House to be turned into residential development

Published by

Sam Pither

SALE ACHIEVED: Queensmere House in East Grinstead town centre which has been sold in a deal negotiated by property consultancy Vail Williams

A former college building in East Grinstead has been sold for residential development.

Following two previous abortive transactions, property consultancy Vail Williams were instructed to dispose of the 14,614sq ft Queensmere House (pictured above) on behalf of family property business Holman Holdings, achieving in excess of the undisclosed asking price.

The sale, which includes planning consent to convert the site to 14 three-bedroom flats totalling 21,743sq ft, with extra volume a possibility, was acquired by a London-based property development company.

Mikael Goldsmith, Vail Williams Senior Surveyor based in Crawley, said: “We had strong interest in Queensmere House from the moment we were instructed, and this translated into a competitive bidding process receiving offers in excess of the guide price.

“The demand for residential conversion opportunities shows no sign of slowing. We are retained by developers who are constantly looking for similar opportunities and would be delighted to advise on any potential disposals.”

The four-storey building, which is located just 10 minutes from the railway station, was formerly occupied by Central Sussex College which became part of Crawley College after a merger with Chichester College in 2017.

Vanessa Edmonds, Project Director at Holman Holdings, said: “We are indebted to Vail Williams for getting this transaction across the line smoothly and without fuss.

“We instructed the firm after strong recommendations and we have been delighted with the outcome and the service we received.”

Sam Pither

Sam is the Regional Editor of Biz News, responsible for both Hampshire and Dorset. A new recruit to journalism, Sam started writing for the Business Magazine as a freelancer in May of 2022 after completing his degree in English at University College London. His passion for local businesses and ability to tell a story soon caught the attention of the publication’s management team and have led to his meteoric rise. Sam, who lives in central Reading, takes a particular interest in technology, gaming and food and drink, having been a chef before starting his degree.