Cheltenham lodge sparks flurry of potential business bids

A number of interested parties have already expressed their interest in a landmark Cheltenham building that has been put up for sale, with the current highest bidder seeking to transform it into a high-end restaurant.

Montpellier Lodge - a former park-keeper's residence - is being put up for sale by Cheltenham Borough Council, after the council cabinet gave the go-ahead for the sale on Tuesday. Speaking at the meeting of the council, the cabinet member for the built environment, John Rawson, said that interest had already been feverish.

"The building has been surplus to requirements for some time and it seems to me that the best way of ensuring that it is protected is to provide a productive use, which is why we put it on the market," he said. "The biggest bid is for a restaurant, which would create another attraction in the Montpellier area and we think that's well worth looking at."

Bids for the building have already exceeded £250,000 and another has proposed transforming it into a specialist delicatessen, with an apartment on the upper floor and a conservatory extension.

Local people are cautiously welcoming the development plans for the building, having previously expressed fears that it would fall into dereliction following the council's vacating of it.