Father and son Ed and Ed Grimley are looking to let their petrol station and vehicle repair centre, a prime site for development in Hednesford, Staffordshire.
Tower Garage on Brindley Road, near to a recently introduced residential development of around 2,500 houses, has been owned by the family since 1966.
It has a £1 million turnover from fuel and the remainder from servicing and vehicle repairs, and its arrangement to be a Pace-branded fuel site has come to an end.
The business currently has four fuel pumps on two islands, with an annual 500,000 litre volume, and there is space to introduce jet washes and electric vehicle charging. Also, the existing workshop and office space could be replaced with a convenience store.
Commercial property agency Rapleys believes that the site, which has limited opening hours and is near to the Cannock Chase national park, has potential to build both tourist and local trade.
“I think potentially it would appeal to a smaller independent who wants to spend money putting in a small shop for everyday essentials like milk and bread,” says Rapleys’ associate Mark Frostick. ”Alternatively, it would suit someone who already has sites in the area, or would be interested in running an unmanned fuel site,” he adds.
Ed Grimley junior, who joined his father in running the site 40 years ago, had considered investing himself in developing the site.
But he says he now wants to take semi-retirement, and that his father who is aged 81 has been a silent partner for many years. “My heart is not in it any more,” he admits.
“I’ve had a couple of really good offers to redevelop the forecourt,” he says. ”I think the workshops will go and will be replaced with a grocery shop, and that it will be developed maybe with electric chargers and jet washes,” he adds.
The closing date for interested parties to submit iSeptember 12. The family ideally would like to lease the property for 10 years, but would consider 15 with a 10 year get out clause.
