7:22 am, November 5, 2022
North-west-based used car supermarket company The Car Group is expanding to open a second showroom.
The business has acquired Hooten House, near Ellesmere Port, from Stellantis for an undisclosed sum.
The former Vauxhall Motors administrative facility sits on an eight-acre piece of land, and includes a deal for an additional
3.5-acre strip of land.
It’s a purpose-built detached two storey pavilion-style office building with double height reception, open plan and cellular accommodation, lift and a 150-seat cafeteria.
The Car Group says it has since obtained planning permission from Cheshire West and Chester Council to convert the premises to a car supermarket and the construction of an additional 100,000 sq ft of maintenance bays.
It is thought this will create around 140 jobs.
The Car Group director Raza Habib said: ‘We are looking to expand to bring our unique style of showroom and refreshing one-stop shop buying experience to new areas as demand for quality used cars has never been higher.
‘We are indebted to Carole, Vail Williams and the wider team for not only sourcing and securing this superbly located and visible premises in Cheshire, but also working hard in challenging circumstances to get it over the line.
‘It is anticipated construction work will begin shortly. These are exciting times for The Car Group as we seek further strategic growth.’
Carole Taylor, West Midlands regional managing partner at property consultancy Vail Williams, led the team which sourced the site.
She said: ‘We first met The Car Group when we disposed of a former bus depot in Bury, Greater Manchester to them which they converted in to their first car supermarket.
‘The company then instructed us to search for sites or premises – typically eight to 10 acres in the north west or north east – which could be converted in to further car supermarkets.
‘Following extensive searches we identified Hooton House, which was purchased subject to planning and we subsequently worked with a full design team and successfully obtained planning consent.’
The Car Group was founded in 2014 and is based in Bury.
It stocks more than 500 RAC-approved cars in its current facility, which The Car Group says is the UK’s largest indoor heated showroom.
