Government leases Admiralty Arch for 99 yrs

Admiralty Arch , one of the most famous landmarks in London has been leased for 99 yrs to a Developer who will turn it into a Luxury Hotel. It was primarily occupied by the Admiralty and other Government Depts and the Lease was sold for £60 million . Apparently Bristol has 13 Buildings for Government Offices and some of these will be leased.

I remember Harold Macmillan famously remarking "we have sold the family silver " when Margaret Thatcher was selling off the Utilitiies.

I think £60 million is cheap, admittedly it will cost millions to develop the property but make a fortune for the owners ....maybe a million for each year of the Lease would have been appropriate.

That's sad.


I used to work for the ministry off defence and whenever a dignity Arrived from another country we all had to go wave at them as they passed through the arch....what a shame.....what next, renting out Buckingham palace to the council!

kitti wrote:That's sad.


I used to work for the ministry off defence and whenever a dignity Arrived from another country we all had to go wave at them as they passed through the arch....what a shame.....what next, renting out Buckingham palace to the council!

Morning kitti , is there underground parking ? certainly no street parking nearby. There was a Reporter on the landing and the inside looked quite dilapidated , several Floors and there will be Apartments as well as an Hotel.

Harold MacMillan was right.

I think as long as they dont mess with the outside it makes a lot of sense.What else are they going to do with it,fill it up again with a load of useless government quango officers on wopping great pensions telling us we all have to work till we die ?
Can't leave it empty and someone has to pay for the maintenance,dont need parking for the likes who will stay here will be chauffeur driven or arrive by Eurostar.
Plus it saves the Queen applying for planning permission for that new annex She's always wanted.