BBC Television Centre up for sale

Television Centre, the landmark west London home of BBC television and news, has gone on the market.

The corporation said it was interested in a conventional sale or offers to redevelop the site as a joint venture. A statement said the BBC was "keen to investigate" redevelopment plans to preserve listed parts of the building and establish a "hub for creative businesses and a visitor destination".

The doughnut-shaped building first opened in Shepherd's Bush in 1960. Among the shows recorded in its studios were ‘Fawlty Towers’, ‘Monty Python's Flying Circus’, ‘Blue Peter’ and ‘Strictly Come Dancing’, as well as earlier series of ‘Doctor Who’. The site is also home to the Blue Peter garden, which will be relocated to a studio roof at the BBC's new development in Salford, Greater Manchester.

The BBC said the main aim of the Television Centre sale, first announced in 2007, was to maximise the site's value to the BBC and licence fee payers. The 14-acre site, where 5,000 staff are based, is expected to be empty by 2015.

Chris Kane, head of BBC Workplace, said: "With high investor demand for commercial property in London and a shortage of landmark sites as distinctive as Television Centre, we anticipate strong competition for both conventional and innovative proposals."

W12 programme director Richard Deverell added: "Television Centre has played an extraordinary and central role in the history of the BBC, which will not be forgotten."

BBC News is set to move to central London next year while BBC Sport, children's programmes, TV's Breakfast and Radio 5 live are moving to Salford.