A former Woolworths store that was twice turned into a cannabis factory has now been put up for sale. The owners are looking for £300,000 for the derelict unit in Longton’s Market Street.
The prominent 26,953 sqft building, which has fallen into disrepair, has predominantly been empty since the collapse of Woolworths in 2008. However, weed growers took over the unit with 1,500 plants found inside in 2021 and 2,467 worth £2.6 million were discovered in 2019.
It has been listed by Rory Mack Associates, which describes the site as an ‘extensive retail premises with first floor offices and storage’.
The listing reads: “Thought to have originally constructed as a Woolworths store during the 1970s, the property is concrete framed with extensive glazed frontages and flat roof coverings. There is a goods lift towards the rear of the sales area which provides direct access to the storage area above.
“There are two entrances to the ground floor sales area making the splitting of the building a relatively straight forward exercise to accommodate smaller requirements.”
The former Woolworths building in Longton
(Image: Rory Mack Associates)
According to Rory Mack Associates, the building has a rateable value of £24,500. The news of the potential sale comes after the Longton Exchange Shopping Centre painted the exterior of the building last year as part of a £6,000 revamp.
At the time, Longton Exchange manager Chris Ward told StokeonTrentLive: “Woolworths is not owned by Longton Exchange, it has a separate private landlord. As part of our work for the Exchange Quarter I made contact with the owner of the former Woolworths building and asked for permission that we pay for painting the side of it which they’ve agreed to.
“Obviously it just enhances the area and it also pulls into the idea of what we’re doing to make it bright and attractive around there. We are trying to work with the council and other organisations to work on various parts of the town as well.
“So there might be funding that we can tap into to enhance other buildings along Market Street and The Strand. Again not owned by Longton Exchange but the idea is to make the area more attractive for people as they come through the town because people’s perceptions as they drive through The Strand or Market Street is that the whole of Longton is empty and unloved.”
The former Woolworths store was transformed into a cannabis factory
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