Developing a Scheduled Monument
Anne acted for a national residential property developer on its acquisition of this site which comprised of 39 acres of parkland, gardens, lakes and a Hall. The Hall was built in the mid 16th Century and was not only a Grade 1 listed building but also a Scheduled Ancient Monument which was managed by English Heritage and owned by the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport.
Purchase of the site was conditional not only upon the grant of planning permission and listed building consent but also upon the grant of scheduled monument consent. The disposal to Anne’s client was subject to a lease back to the vendor of two rooms within the Hall which contain Elizabethan wall paintings of national importance.
The site was converted into 21 residential units and, with some carefully drafted documents, Anne’s client was able to sell many of the units before the purchase contract had become unconditional. The development is now complete and the public have access to the wall paintings on a limited number of days each year.
Overcoming Planning Constraints
Anne acted for a residential property developer on the acquisition of a large house in South Manchester which was set in substantial grounds. Evidence was collated to establish that the property had been divided into flats many years previously and this enabled the developer to secure planning permission for two large additional properties to be built in the grounds, notwithstanding the existence of the planning moratorium at the time.
The development progressed with the sale of one plot to an independent developer and the transfer of the other plot to the client’s pension fund prior to its sale. Anne also dealt with a joint venture agreement between her client and the developer who undertook the restoration and conversion of the original house, prior to its sale. Her client was so pleased with the outcome that he told her to double her fee!
Luxury Holiday Homes
Anne acted on the purchase of a caravan park in Essex which was being acquired by her clients for redevelopment although much of the park was already let to permanent residents and holiday home owners. In addition to the usual mix of planning, site licence and title issues, Anne fielded a number of “curved balls” and was able to offer her client practical solutions to a range of potential problems.
The £10 million redevelopment programme is continuing with luxury lodges being sold in a rural waterside setting only 25 minutes by train from Central London.
Adding Value in Didsbury
The purchase of this listed building for residential development included all the usual issues relating to covenants, overage and planning but a careful and detailed investigation of the titles to the surrounding properties enabled Anne to secure a substantial saving for her client in the cost of title insurance. She was able to demonstrate to insurers that a number of neighbouring properties had already been developed in breach of similar covenants. Insurers recognised the reduced risk that this presented and lowered the premium accordingly.
