Disused stairwell in Twickenham sells at auction for £25,000

A disused stairwell in Twickenham has sold at auction for £25,000.

The singular property, which went under the hammer with a guide price of £20,000, has reportedly been snapped up by entrepeneur Simon Squibb.

Mr Squibb, a father-of-one from north London, told the BBC he hopes to convert it into a multi-storey retail space if planning permission can be secured.

The stairwell no longer serves the block of flats it is attached to, and images and a video tour show the space is currently used as storage for bicycles, fire extinguishers and an assortment of items including plants and furniture.

Mr Squibb is CEO of Helpbnk - a platform that “allows entrepreneurs to connect and get the help they need for free”.

He told the BBC: “I want to turn this staircase into something that represents that anything is possible.

“My vision is for each of the floors to have a different pop-up business - it might have a designer showcasing their new line of clothes on one floor, a coffee shop on another and a new restaurant at the top that is serving food for people to try.”

Mr Squibb told the BBC the idea for buying the site had “formed in the last 48 hours”.

He added that he and his colleagues “haven’t seen the building in person, don’t know the legal implications and don’t know if we can get the planning permission we need for it”.

But he added he feels it “worth taking a risk”, adding that he had been “so determined to win it I would have kept on bidding”.

Located off King Street, the stairs are attached to an office building and boast proximity to the delights of TW1, including shops, restaurants, and the local Wetherspoon.

Agents say that owning them comes with the right to “lay and maintain utility services over the adjoining rear car park”.

Prior to the auction, Barnard Marcus Auctions partner, James Paterson, told the Standard: “There has been a strong level of interest from a variety of buyers.

“Prospective purchasers must rely on their own enquires in terms of what it could be used for.”

Some of the auctioneer’s previous quirky property sales have included a classic red telephone kiosk, which was sold for an undisclosed amount in April.

With around 991 years remaining on the long leasehold, the Twickenham stairwell has what is described as just a “peppercorn” ground rent.