The Sun’s Wapping head office is up for sale
The Sun newspaper’s Wapping offices have been put up for sale by News International.
News International newspapers, Wapping, E1
Marketed by CBRE as “Wapping Village”, the redevelopment opportunity comprises over one million sq ft of commercial buildings and is expected to attract offers in the region of £200m.
With the potential to build 2,000 flats and 500,000 sq ft of E1 offices in Wapping, the finished development could be worth £2bn.
The Wapping print works has had a controversial history, as it came to symbolise the end of Fleet Street’s traditional working practices. The editorial and printing presses were blockaded by union pickets during the mid eighties, earning the nickname of “Fortress Wapping”.
The East London newspaper complex was home to The Times, Sunday Times and until its dramatic closure in 2011, the biggest selling national paper the News of the World.
2,800 newspaper staff from the remaining newspapers are now being relocated to an adjacent Wapping office rental at Land Securities’ Thomas More business centre. Terms have been agreed for a 10 year lease of 192,000 sq ft of London office space which will accommodate the journalists and editorial teams.
In 2008, News International began moving the London printing operations to what has been described as the world’s largest printing plant. The purpose-build print works at Broxbourne, provides direct access to the M25 motorway and is convenient for distributing papers thorough out southern England.