'No asking price' for historic Wolverhampton pumping station amid rumours

Severn Trent Water has responded to speculation surrounding the potential sale of an historic Wolverhampton pumping station after claims about its supposed asking price circulated online.

The water company has confirmed there is no list price for the Grade II-listed Goldthorn Pumping Station, after suggestions on social media that it could be sold for £300,000.

Severn Trent would not comment on that figure but said the building's heritage would be taken into account when considering any sale of the property and its potential future use.

A Severn Trent spokesperson said: “We’re continuing to modernise our infrastructure, with some £15 billion of investment planned over the next five years which can mean some of our older property assets becoming redundant.

“Goldthorn Pumping is a Grade II-listed building, so we do take into account the heritage of such sites when considering who to sell the property to and its potential future use.

“Funds from these types of disposals are reinvested back into the business, to help keep customer bills low.”

The prospect of a new future for the distinctive building has prompted discussion among residents, with suggestions ranging from community use to a major restoration project.

One Facebook user said it was “about time” and suggested a community company could be established to take on the building, adding: “Where there are people, there is a way!”

Ian Wilkes suggested it was “one for George Clarke” and his Channel 4 programme The Restoration Man, while Helen Cupitt said: “Always wanted to see this on Grand Designs.”

Natalie Jane Webb described it as “such a lovely building” and suggested it could become a community youth club or provide activities for young children.

Concerns over the condition and future of the landmark are not new; local historian and author Mark Cooper has campaigned for action to preserve the building.

Mr Cooper, who has written a number of books about Blakenhall's industrial heritage, has written to Severn Trent on several occasions over the state of the pumping station.

He said residents and the local history society were concerned about the “poor state of the building and grounds”, describing their condition as “a disgrace”.

Mr Cooper, who has lived within sight of the building for almost 50 years, previously suggested it could be converted for housing or given a new lease of life as a museum or community venue.

He said: “For longer than I can remember, I and residents have been campaigning to bring this iconic building back from the brink, and we have badgered our MPs, councillors, planners and others to get the building working again.”

He has also described the station as being “derelict and in poor shape” and called on Severn Trent to take responsibility for its renovation and repair.

The pumping station dates back to 1851 and is regarded as an early surviving example of 19th-century pumping station architecture.

Built for the former Wolverhampton Water Company, the Grade II-listed building was designed in a distinctive Italianate style and includes the former engine attendant's house.

Its water wells were abandoned around the turn of the 20th century, although the site continued to house a 40,000-gallon elevated storage tank on the roof of the pump house.