Recently in County Durham Category

Imagine my surprise yesterday when North East-based property tycoon David Abrahams (pictured) told me that Durham Green, the business park scheme in County Durham which he is currently selling, could eventually contain a whopping 75m sq ft of commercial space.

Abrahams, who achieved a degree of fame as the man who sparked the government's 2007 'donorgate' scandal, is in the process of selling the 540-acre site in County Durham to First Industrial Developments, the company formed by a group of ex-Prologis directors last year. (EGi subscribers can read the full story here).

First Industrial say the first 75-acre phase of the project is likely to comprise a somewhat more conservative 1.3m sq ft of industrial and office space, rather than the 8m sq ft-plus suggested by Abrahams. The entire project, believe First Industrial would only just get above that at a more realistic 10m sq ft.

By contrast phase two of Prologis' DIRFT development will be 2m sq ft.

Property investors in Bradford are being given the rare opportunity to make an investment on a dead-cert property.

The former mortuary in the Yorkshire city is being put up for auction next month with a guide price of £80, 000 to £100, 000. It's full listing is here.

According to The Telegraph and Argus auctioneers Pugh & Company believe it will become a nightclub or a bar - presumably for anyone in need of a stiff drink. We've heard that the pub business is dead but this may be taking this too far.

And it's not the only unusual property to pop up for sale this week. A former Prisoner of War camp in County Durham is being sold on eBay. The ancient monument was turned into a tourist attraction in 2004 but its owners can no longer afford to complete its restoration.

With a guide price of £900, 000 the one acre site has planning permission for 13 holiday homes and comes complete with an original theatre and huts featuring prisoners wall paintings. Lovely I'm sure if you are into that sort of thing.

Picture of toe tag by a.drian from Flickr used under a Creative Commons license