Banks's Brewery site in Wolverhampton up for sale

No price tag has been given for the landmark site which had been home to the famous brewery for 150 years before it closed for good at the end of September - a month after its last brewing day.

Promotional particulars say the sale of the brewery site represents a rare opportunity to purchase a large freehold site, with redevelopment potential, next to Wolverhampton city centre.

It has been rumoured that Marks & Spencer is interested in the site, among others, as it looks for a suitable location to open a new M&S Food offering in the city.

The site comprises the former logistics warehouse on the eastern side, the logistics yard in the central portion of the main site, and the brewery itself - ranging from a single to a five-storey building - on the western side.

Sitting next to Wolverhampton City Centre's ring road (A4150) and within the strategic centre of the city - it has dual access from Bath Road and Chapel Ash - with “excellent arterial access” to surrounding areas and counties and good rail connectivity to Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool and London Euston - sales particulars say.

Conditional and unconditional offers are invited, with the price available upon application.

CBRE's sales brochure says the site could be suitable for commercial, residential or retail use - given its location to the north west of the residential-led Smithgate regeneration scheme which involves the redevelopment of up to 1,070 new homes and 20,000 sq ft of commercial floor space.

The landmark Marston's House building is not part of the plot that's for sale.

Carlsberg Britvic is selling off the site after closing the city's much-loved brewery and switching brewing operations to its other sites in Burton-on-Trent and Northampton. Up to 100 jobs are believed have been lost with the closure of Bank's Brewery although the company has not confirmed exact numbers.

A spokesperson for Carlsberg Britvic said: “We have now started the process for marketing the property to find new owners for the site.

“Out of respect for the dedicated team at the brewery, we chose to wait until after the formal closure to put the property on the market. It was important for us to take the time to commemorate all that the brewery has meant to the passionate people who have worked there.

“We now look to the future of the brewery site, which is in a significant location near the centre of Wolverhampton and has enormous potential.”

The drinks business also plans to relocate the Carlsberg Britvic depot, currently operating from Grimstone Street, to the new West Midlands Interchange development near Wolverhampton.

Operations will remain at Grimstone Street, next to the former Springfield Brewery site in the city centre, until the final quarter of 2026 when the new £4 million purpose-built depot which is currently under construction at the new WMI national logistics hub at Four Ashes,  at Junction 12 of the M6 north of Wolverhampton, is expected to be ready.

Wolverhampton Council said while it was a blow to lose the iconic Banks's Brewery there are high hopes the site will be brought back into use plus a number of other big developments brewing for the city.

A spokesperson for the city council said: “We remain in contact with Carlsberg Britvic and will do everything within our power to ensure this strategic site is maximised for the benefit of the city and is brought back into use as swiftly as possible.

“We must remember, that while it is undoubtedly a blow to lose the historic brewery, Wolverhampton city centre is being transformed through a billion-pound investment pipeline that is delivering hundreds of new homes as part of major development schemes like Smithgate and Canalside South, offices, leisure and transport infrastructure - all offering new opportunities for residents and businesses.”