King Sturge has announced that the former EMI building on Drakes Way, Swindon has been sold to Camden Ventures, one of the UK's largest privately owned motor dealership group.

Jeremy Sutton, partner in the Swindon office of King Sturge, said: “This 123,000 sq ft property was previously EMI's CD manufacturing plant which they closed in 2002. Since that time we have been marketing the property and received interest from a variety of different users.

“The property had been under offer twice, once for an industrial process and the other for use as a Makro Cash and Carry. On each occasion the purchasers pulled out. Camden have been an interested party for some time.

“The changes which allowed car showrooms to be considered as employment uses introduced in the Swindon Borough Local Plan adopted in July 2006 encouraged them to agree a purchase price and submit a change of use planning application. Now that planning has been obtained and EMI have completed the removal of the plant and machinery associated with the production of CD’s the sale has completed.

“Camden will now be undertaking alteration works and branding the facility as The Car Shop, a multi model car supermarket, ready for trading in May 2007.

“King Sturge building surveyors project managed EMI's strip out works and it is very encouraging to see this high profile landmark building being brought back into use.”

William Reynolds of Avis Reynolds Chartered Surveyors agents which acted for Camden added: “This property is ideal for The Car Shop, it is highly visible on a major arterial road, provides good clear space for car display and servicing as well as plenty of land externally for further car display and customer parking.

“We appointed King Sturge planning department to assist with our planning application which on the whole was well received by the planners who accepted alternative uses would need to be allowed so as to avoid the property remaining vacant for the foreseeable future.”