Picture Credit: Nick Cooper
Sky News reports that the Brompton Road station has been sold to a billionaire from the Ukraine. The station was where Winston Churchill held many secret meetings during World War II.
The abandoned underground station that Churchill used has been sold off by the Government in efforts to increase the public accounts. The station was closed in 1934 due to a lack of people using the train. Because of the location in South Kensington (which is one of the most expensive parts of London), it is one of the most sought after public assets that are being liquidated.
The Ministry of Defense currently owns the station. They have stated that there has already been an exchange of contracts with an interested buyer and the deal is expected to be closed within the next few months.
When asked about the identity of the buyer or how much the station was sold for, a spokesperson declined to answer, due to confidentiality. Instead, they stated: “As far as we’re concerned the place has been sold and bought.”
The station was used during World War II as a place where air force cadets could train; however the tube trains still ran under the shafts. They have since been converted into rooms.
Real Estate agents have said that South Kensington has become popular with wealthy buyers from the Middle East and Eastern Europe. The agents speculate that the station may have sold for tens of millions of pounds and would most likely be converted into luxury housing.
It has been reported to have been sold to a Ukrainian billionaire for roughly 50 million pounds. The Ministry of Defense and the agent who was handling the contract declined to comment on the purchase.
London’s government says that it has sold more than 700 buildings and land plots since 2010; thus cutting it’s property portfolio by at least 15 percent. By doing so, they were able to raise over a billion pounds.
The station was used as an air defense command center during World War II. It was also used to protect central London from German Bombers.
