A disused London Underground station that was used as a Second World War command centre has been sold for £53million. Brompton Road Tube station, in an expensive corner of London near Harrods, was put on the market in September by the Ministry of Defence as part of cost-cutting efforts. Funds from the sale will go back into the defence budget, and the site is expected to be transformed into ultra-luxurious flats or houses. Scroll down for video . Sold by the MoD: The former Brompton Road Tube station will be turned into expensive luxury flats . The station, which lies on the Piccadilly Line, was closed in 1934 because of a lack of passengers . The station was reportedly used to interrogate Rudolf Hess after he was taken prisoner during WW2 . The identity of the buyer has not been revealed but a previous sale of the site, to a Ukrainian billionaire for £50million, is said to have fallen through. The former Tube station site, between the Brompton Oratory and Brompton Square, will be developed by Michael Spink, an Oxfordshire-based property tycoon who spent £42million developing a country estate near Henley before selling it to a Russian billionaire for £140million. Mr Spink told MailOnline he hoped to transform it into a 'very high quality residential development' and said that, allowing time for planning negotiations, he expected the project to take four or five years to complete. The Piccadilly Line station, which was designed by English architect Leslie Green, retains its original distinctive green and brown wall tiles - the hallmark of many of the Underground's historic stations. It was opened in 1906 but closed in 1934 after London Underground decided it was no longer financially viable. During the Blitz, the building was taken over by Winston Churchill's War Office and used to control anti-aircraft batteries to protect London from air raids. All change: The station will now be transformed by high-end property developer, Michael Spink . The £53million proceeds from the sale of the former station will go back into the Ministry of Defence's budget . Long way down: The Ministry of Defence bought the station in 1939 for £22,000 and have sold it for £53million . Hitler's right-hand man, Rudolf Hess, was reportedly interrogated there after he was taken prisoner during World War Two. The 28,000 sq ft property contains a drill hall, garages, offices and mess above ground and has recently been occupied by the London University Air Squadron (UAS), the London University Royal Naval Unit (URNU), and 46F Squadron Air Training Corps (Air cadets). There are also several underground areas, previously used as part of the former Brompton Road Underground station, but they have been left largely unused since the end of the Second World War. Today, the only remnants of the site's military past are a large map of London, the MoD said. It is working with the National Archives to make sure it is retained. Announcing the £53million sale, defence minister Andrew Murrison said: 'The Ministry of Defence is committed to selling off its surplus land and property in order to provide the best possible value for money to the taxpayer. 'At the same time we take our role as a custodian of the nation's history very seriously and have been working to record the historic significance of the building.' There are understood to be 32 ghost stations across London's underground network, abandoned over the years as lines were diverted or the number of passengers passing through dwindled.Like Brompton Road, many of the stations have links to the Second World War. Down Street - last used as a station in May 1932, became an air raid shelter after the war broke out, and Aldwych was used by thousands of Londoners during the Blitz.The empty station in Westminster has been used as a location for films including Atonement, V for Vendetta, Superman 4 and 28 Weeks Later.Other abandoned stations still remain at City Road, which was on the Northern Line until it closed its doors in 1922, Marlborough Road, which was on the Metropolitan Line, and South Kentish Town, which closed in 1924.York Road closed in 1932 because it was under-used, while North End is unique in that it is a closed Tube station that never actually opened.Intended to be the deepest station on the underground network, work on North End stopped in 1906 because it was not deemed financially viable.
Brompton Road tube station closed in 1934 because of lack of passengers .
During WW2, the station housed Churchill's anti-aircraft operations .
Hitler's right-hand man, Rudolf Hess, was reportedly interrogated there .
It has been sold by the Ministry of Defence to an anonymous buyer .
The site, near the Brompton Oratory in Knightsbridge, will be developed .
Developer Michael Spink hopes to turn it into 'high quality residential'
A disused London Underground station that was used as a Second World War command centre has been sold for £53million. Brompton Road Tube station, in an expensive corner of London near Harrods, was put on the market in September by the Ministry of Defence as part of cost-cutting efforts. Funds from the sale will go back into the defence budget, and the site is expected to be transformed into ultra-luxurious flats or houses. Scroll down for video . Sold by the MoD: The former Brompton Road Tube station will be turned into expensive luxury flats . The station, which lies on the Piccadilly Line, was closed in 1934 because of a lack of passengers . The station was reportedly used to interrogate Rudolf Hess after he was taken prisoner during WW2 . The identity of the buyer has not been revealed but a previous sale of the site, to a Ukrainian billionaire for £50million, is said to have fallen through. The former Tube station site, between the Brompton Oratory and Brompton Square, will be developed by Michael Spink, an Oxfordshire-based property tycoon who spent £42million developing a country estate near Henley before selling it to a Russian billionaire for £140million. Mr Spink told MailOnline he hoped to transform it into a 'very high quality residential development' and said that, allowing time for planning negotiations, he expected the project to take four or five years to complete. The Piccadilly Line station, which was designed by English architect Leslie Green, retains its original distinctive green and brown wall tiles - the hallmark of many of the Underground's historic stations. It was opened in 1906 but closed in 1934 after London Underground decided it was no longer financially viable. During the Blitz, the building was taken over by Winston Churchill's War Office and used to control anti-aircraft batteries to protect London from air raids. All change: The station will now be transformed by high-end property developer, Michael Spink . The £53million proceeds from the sale of the former station will go back into the Ministry of Defence's budget . Long way down: The Ministry of Defence bought the station in 1939 for £22,000 and have sold it for £53million . Hitler's right-hand man, Rudolf Hess, was reportedly interrogated there after he was taken prisoner during World War Two. The 28,000 sq ft property contains a drill hall, garages, offices and mess above ground and has recently been occupied by the London University Air Squadron (UAS), the London University Royal Naval Unit (URNU), and 46F Squadron Air Training Corps (Air cadets). There are also several underground areas, previously used as part of the former Brompton Road Underground station, but they have been left largely unused since the end of the Second World War. Today, the only remnants of the site's military past are a large map of London, the MoD said. It is working with the National Archives to make sure it is retained. Announcing the £53million sale, defence minister Andrew Murrison said: 'The Ministry of Defence is committed to selling off its surplus land and property in order to provide the best possible value for money to the taxpayer. 'At the same time we take our role as a custodian of the nation's history very seriously and have been working to record the historic significance of the building.' There are understood to be 32 ghost stations across London's underground network, abandoned over the years as lines were diverted or the number of passengers passing through dwindled.Like Brompton Road, many of the stations have links to the Second World War. Down Street - last used as a station in May 1932, became an air raid shelter after the war broke out, and Aldwych was used by thousands of Londoners during the Blitz.The empty station in Westminster has been used as a location for films including Atonement, V for Vendetta, Superman 4 and 28 Weeks Later.Other abandoned stations still remain at City Road, which was on the Northern Line until it closed its doors in 1922, Marlborough Road, which was on the Metropolitan Line, and South Kentish Town, which closed in 1924.York Road closed in 1932 because it was under-used, while North End is unique in that it is a closed Tube station that never actually opened.Intended to be the deepest station on the underground network, work on North End stopped in 1906 because it was not deemed financially viable.
sold for £53million. Brompton Road Tube station, 1934 because of a lack of passengers . The between the Brompton Oratory and Brompton Square, will be developed by Michael Spink, an hoped to transform it into a 'very high quality closed in 1934 after London Underground decided Ministry of Defence bought the station in 1939 Hitler's right-hand man, Rudolf Hess, was reportedly interrogated there after he was taken