A long-established Norwich motor auction business has announced plans to move to Wymondham.The family-owned East Anglian Motor Auctions has been in Aylsham Road since it was launched in 1946 by Ted Hodgkin - grandfather of current managing director Chris Beckett.The firm will celebrate its 60th birthday next year - by leaving its city premises for a four-acre site on the Gateway 11 business park at Wymondham, opposite the Norfolk Police headquarters.The move should enable the company to double the number of vehicles it sells.The 1.3-acre Aylsham Road site is being put up for sale.Mr Beckett said “It’s a very exciting development for us. We have bought the site, been given planning permission and expect building to begin in October. The site is much bigger and the 1570 sq metre complex will have a purpose-designed steel-structured, drive-through saleroom with tiered seating. “The design includes under-canopy vehicle storage, valeting and vehicle preparation areas, a one-acre customer car park and glass and brick offices to complement the saleroom.” “It’s very unusual and rare for an independent motor auction business to have a purpose-built complex. The location is perfect for us, with easy road access for our clients and easy access on to our site.” East Anglian Motor Auctions holds three main auctions a week - one on Tuesday evenings, and two to cover commercial vehicles and cars on Thursdays. That is likely to remain unchanged and Mr Beckett anticipates that turnover will more than double.”Most weeks we offer 200-300 vehicles, and I envisage that rising to 500 to 600 vehicles at Wymondham,” said Mr Beckett, who also hopes to run more specialist plant vehicle and classic car auctions.”We will have a lot more space and be able to provide our clients with an acre of car parking space. “The other big attraction about Wymondham is that it’s very well located for transport links to other centres around the county and East Anglia.”East Anglian Motor Auctions employs 25 staff - which is likely to increase when the new complex, designed by Norwich architect David Marris, opens. The company started in a marquee on the Aylsham Road site in the 1940s, and in the early days the firm also sold furniture and household goods before the car and truck business really took off. The current buildings were put up in the 1960s and more offices were added in the 1970s.Mr Beckett said: “In some ways it’ll be sad to leave Aylsham Road, but times change and it’s time to move on.” The sale of East Anglian Motor Auction’s Aylsham Road premises is being handled by Roche chartered surveyors of Norwich. For further details, call James Allen on 01603 619876.

Posted: 09|25|05 at 8:29 am. Filed under: UK News.