Business

Property ladder goes straight into a Cold War nuclear bunker

 The nuclear bunker is sited at the Woodside Industrial Estate
 The nuclear bunker is sited at the Woodside Industrial Estate  The nuclear bunker is sited at the Woodside Industrial Estate

FOR those sick of scouring the property pages, looking for their dream nuclear bunker, the wait is over.

That's because the government is selling off one relic of the Cold War outside Ballymena.

The structure is owned by the Office of First Minister and Deputy First Minister (OFMDFM) which is seeking offers around £575,000.

The bunker at Woodside Road Industrial Estate is one of the last and considered among the most technically advanced of its kind in the UK.

Between 1955 and 1965, 1,600 nuclear posts and 36 control were built in Britain and Northern Ireland.

This example is much later, first being commissioned in the late 1980s and was described as in a "fit and ready state for any big emergency" in 1990.

Selling agents Lambert Smith Hampton said the property "blends into its surroundings" and is disguised by a grass roof.

The lower level of the building is completely underground.

The structure is accessd via interlocking double blast doors and includes dormitories, bathrooms, commercial kitchen facilities, an audio-visual broadcasting facility built for the BBC, conference facilities, air filtration systems, conference rooms, decontamination chambers, plant rooms and oil storage.

Lambert Smith Hampton surveyor Andrew Fraser said: “We are delighted to be presented with the challenge to find a purchaser for this one of a kind property. This is an extremely rare listing and offers a unique opportunity for potential buyers.

Stuart Draffin, head of agency at Lambert Smith Hampton added: “We expect a lot of interest in the property . We believe the property may have potential for a wide range of uses including, but not limited to media, tourism and secure storage.”