A BLOCK of public toilets has sold at auction for more than six times the guide price.

The Cheshire West council owned block, located in Weaverham, was sold by Pugh's online auction on August 18 and had been listed with a guide price of £10,000.

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However, when the hammer came down on the 1,700 sq ft site of public convenience, the price was at a whopping £61,000.

It is not yet known who the successful bidder was, with auctioneers believing the site could be suitable for a range of alternative uses, depending on planning approval.

Northwich Guardian: The public toilet block in Weaverham sold for £61,000 at auction Photo Pugh

The public toilet block in Weaverham sold for £61,000 at auction Photo Pugh

Located adjacent to the Esso Petrol Station at the intersection of Church Street and Northwich Road, the site had attracted some interest before the bidding even started.

Pugh managing director Paul Thompson had said prior to the auction that investors were continuing to display an appetite for new opportunities and that he hoped the site would be put to imaginative use.

After the sale, which he said was a very pleasing result for his client, he added: "We have sold a number of toilet blocks over the years and they do tend to attract higher levels of interest as they are generally in good village or town centre locations and are of a suitable size that would suit various uses going forward.

"So in the past we’ve seen them turned into barbershops, newsagents, flower shops and even taxi ranks.

"So the auctions have worked in the sense that we have brought in interest from all sectors of the property market and achieved a good outcome for the local authority and as you say it will be interesting to see how the building issues going forward and obviously any such uses will be subject to obtaining consents."

Cheshire West and Chester Council have been approached for comment about what and where the £61,000 windfall will be spent on.

A spokesman for the council said: "The proceeds from the sale will form part of the general capital receipts that fund the Council’s overall capital programme."