A FORMER department store building is to go on sale at auction for the first time in 20 years, with a starting offer of almost £1 million.

The building at 51 Western Road in Brighton, which currently houses a Greggs bakery, will be sold at an online auction next Thursday, December 10.

The property, which includes a two-bedroom maisonette and a studio apartment as well as the shop unit, has a guide price of £975,000 plus. It has a residential entrance from Clarence Square.

The shop has been let to Greggs Plc until 2026, and the property as a whole currently brings in an annual rent of £63,800.

The building once formed part of the city’s historic Knight & Wakeford department store between 49 and 55 Western Road, which was purpose built in 1903. The “KW” branding on the building is still visible today.

In 1920 it was sold to Dawkins Ltd Drapers, who occupied the building until 1950, when it downsized to numbers 52-55 Western Road. In 1958 it was divided up into smaller retail units.

John Mehtab at Acuitus said: “This property has enjoyed success as a retail destination for many decades. The shop benefits from its strong trading position opposite Primark, and near to Churchill Square Shopping Centre.”

The auction is set to take place online at acuitus.co.uk next Thursday.

Interested buyers can submit bids by telephone, online or submit a bid by proxy.

For more information, contact Acuitus on 020 7034 4850 or visit www.acuitus.co.uk.