TWO vacant town sites which were part of Wrexham town centre history have been put up for auction.

The former Peppers Nightclub on Bridge Street, and the former Hippodrome site on Henblas Street, in the centre of Wrexham are both going under the hammer next month.

Property auctioneers Pugh and Company Ltd are advertising the sites on their website, with the guide price for the Hippodrome set at £130,000 and the former Peppers site valued at £145,000.

Describing the former Hippodrome site, the Pugh website states: "Directly opposite the site is the former BHS store which has been reportedly acquired by a major retailer who is due to begin refurbishment works shortly.

"Wrexham has very good transportation links with both the A483 and A534 in close proximity.

"A cleared site believing to extend to approximately 0.19 acres. The site benefits from planning consent for the construction of two retail units at ground floor level, 10 studio apartments and three one-bedroom flats at first and second floor level.

"Planning permission was approved on April 11, 2019 for the construction of two retail units at ground floor level with 10 studio flats and three one-bedroom flats over first and second floors.

"We are informed by the vendor that an interest fee grant of £250,000 may be available from Wrexham Council. Interested parties are advised to make their own enquiries."

Describing the former Peppers site, the Pugh website states: "The site fronts onto Bridge Street close to its intersection with Brook Street in Wrexham town centre, within walking distance to a variety of local amenities and facilities.

"A part cleared development site consisting of a former nightclub which has the benefit of planning permission for the construction of a ground floor commercial premises and a total of ten apartments over first, second and third floors. Under the current plans there are provisions for six car parking spaces.

"Planning permission was granted on December 12, 2014 for the construction of a mixed use development comprising ground floor commercial unit, four one-bed apartments to the first floor, five one-bedroom apartments to the second floor and a two bedroom penthouse apartment to the third floor."

Peppers was demolished in 2015. The nightclub was owned by Kerry Wycherley, known by many in Wrexham as ‘Mr Clubland’, and was said to be the place to go in the town in the 1980s.

The Hippodrome was the last of Wrexham’s five music halls, which also included the Majestic, now the Elihu Yale, and the Empire on Chester Street, which is now the Saith Seren.

The theatre was built on the site of a former public hall which burnt down in 1909, and Wrexham Hippodrome Ltd was formed in 1913.

Famous faces who took to the stage at the Hippodrome included Gracie Fields, Ken Dodd and legendary music hall staple Arthur Askey.

It closed in autumn 1997, reopening briefly over the Christmas season.

The building then stood empty for more than 10 years, while campaigners, including comic Ken Dodd, pushed for it to be given listed building status. It was unsuccesful.

On June 16, 2008, the building suffered a huge fire – just three days after the funeral of Barry Flanagan, the cinema and theatre’s final manager.

Both sites will go to auction in June.