The Grand Apartments in Leigh have been mired in delays since a developer bought the former Grand Hotel building in 2017 following its closure in 2008.
Plans to convert the hotel, dating back to 1899, into luxury flats were not granted permission until 2019 and the development suffered even further delays during the Covid pandemic – with further promises of a ground-floor restaurant being made.
New rooms – A one-bedroom in Leigh (Image: Blueprint Estate Agents)Now “phase two” of the development, which will see one bed and two bed apartments going on sale this month has been revealed, with a total of 18 apartments set to hit the market.
Leigh Lib Dem councillor Carole Mulroney has celebrated the progress made to ending the long-running saga.
She said: “It is good news, the development is coming to the end of its gestation period, and we are getting something that is moving forward, the site will be used properly. En-suite – Pictures from one of the properties set to go on sale (Image: Blueprint Estate Agents)
“Everyone wants it finished, to be done with and it is good that is it going on, but my regret is that they are invariably luxury and although there would not have been any different way, I do feel concerned.
“I feel concerned that developers are always moving toward the luxury end of the market, I get it but we have so many people who need good quality low-priced housing across the city.
“I want developers to get money out of the big developments and put it into something more relatable.”
Dining room – In the new grand apartments (Image: Blueprint Estate Agents) Double bed – A bedroom in the Grand (Image: Blueprint Estate Agents)
One-bed apartments are priced from £450,000 and two-bed apartments are priced between £700,000 and £825,000 with en-suite bathrooms, estuary views from terraces and balconies and a private roof terrace.
Ms Mulroney added: “Inevitably, the Grand is a building that must be what it is, it was never going to be anything less than that and I am happy for it.
“I would have loved a hotel, but I want developers to make their money as that keeps the economy going, but there must be a real balance.”