Deadline set for bids on historic Grade II-listed Hertfordshire County Hall

A brochure showcasing the 25.58-acre County Hall site, on Pegs Lane, has now been published by agents Savills.

And bids are being invited through an ‘informal tender’ process, with an advertised deadline of noon on December 4.

The council site – said to include the listed County Hall and Registry block, substantial modern extensions, and surrounding land – is described as a “unique redevelopment opportunity”.

And according to Savills’ eight-page brochure, there is the “opportunity to develop a large mixed-use scheme subject to planning”.

Highlighted in Savills’ brochure is the position of the site in relation to St Albans, Stevenage, London and Cambridge, as well as it being within walking distance of Hertford town centre.

It points to Hertford as a “thriving, vibrant” town, with an array of independent retailers, high street stores, delis and cafes, with sports facilities and places of historical interest.

And it says the site is within one of the most affluent suburbs of Hertford, with “commanding views over the town and surrounding countryside”.

It features maps and images – including aerial images, external shots of the buildings and internal images of the reception area and the ballroom.

And according to the brochure, the intention is to dispose of the site by ‘informal tender’ – with the deadline for bids said to be noon on December 4.

Those bids can be, according to the brochure, unconditional or conditional, subject to planning permission.

But it says they should include a range of information, including bidders’ proposals for the property, information on their previous track record and proof of funding.

And bids, it appears, may not only be judged on their monetary value – with the county council reserving the right not to accept the highest offer submitted, or indeed any offer at all.

“The vendor will not be bound to accept the highest or indeed any offer and may withdraw the Property from the market at any time,” says the brochure.

Completed in 1939, the original Grade II* listed County Hall building -which includes the council chamber – was designed by Charles Holloway James and Stephen Rowland Pierce in a neo-Georgian style.

And the site – which was later extended to include modern office blocks and a multi-storey car park – went on to be used by thousands of county council staff daily.

But since 2023, the vast majority of those staff have moved to the authority’s Stevenage campus – and the site has been mostly vacated.

The county council has attempted to find a tenant or buyer to take over the newer office buildings on the site for employment use, while retaining the Grade II* listed buildings – without success.

Although during that time the site became popular as a location for film and TV companies.

In July, the county council took the decision that the entire site should be sold off, with democratic meetings due to move from the council chamber to a purpose-built facility on the Stevenage campus.