BLOUNTS FARM SONNING COMMON READING OXFORDSHIRE

Transcription

1 BLOUNTS FARM SONNING COMMON READING OXFORDSHIRE

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3 BLOUNTS FARM SONNING COMMON READING OXFORDSHIRE RG4 9PA Diversified Mixed Farm 8 bedroom Grade II Listed farmhouse Two 3 bedroom bungalows (subject to AOCs) Traditional and modern farm buildings Rental income and development opportunities (STP) Edge of village location Arable, pasture and woodland About acres ( hectares) For sale as a whole or in 6 lots by private treaty Savills Banbury 36 South Bar Banbury OX16 9AE Tel Philip Hoare phoare@savills.com Savills Henley Bell Street Henley-on-Thames Oxfordshire, RG9 2BN Tel: Stephen Christie-Miller schristie-miller@savills.com savills.co.uk Savills Oxford Wytham Court, 11 West Way Oxford OX2 0QL Tel Richard Binning rbinning@savills.com Savills London 33 Margaret Street London W1G 0JD Tel: Giles Wordsworth gwordsworth@savills.com YOUR ATTENTION IS DRAWN TO THE IMPORTANT NOTICE ON THE LAST PAGE OF THE TEXT

4 LOT 1 LOCATION Blounts Farm is situated in south Oxfordshire on the edge of the village of Sonning Common to the north of Reading and west of Henley-on-Thames. Sonning Common is a popular village with village shops, garage, public houses, a primary school and doctors surgery. Reading and Henley-on-Thames offer shopping, leisure and cultural facililites. Further afield London and Oxford offer more extensive options. Approximate distances and times By Road: Henley-on-Thames: 4.6 miles (7.4 km) Reading: 5.6 miles (8.9 km) High Wycombe: 16.7 miles (26.9 km) Oxford: 23.7 miles (38.1 km) London: 41.4 miles (66.6 km) By Train: Reading to London Paddington from 24 mins Henley-on-Thames to London Paddington from 1 hr 12 mins By Air: Heathrow Airport: 26.5 miles (42.7 km) LOTS 1 AND 2

5 LOT 3 DESCRIPTION BLOUNTS FARM Extending to about acres ( hectares), Blounts Farm is a mixed farm with a Grade II Listed 8 bedroom farmhouse, two 3 bedroom bungalows (subject to Agricultural Occupancy Conditions), an extensive range of traditional and modern farm buildings, arable, pasture and woodland. Blounts Farm has been in the ownership of the Vendor s family since 1919 and farmed by three successive generations. The farm once formed part of Blounts Court which is the neighbouring property owned by Johnson Matthey, a global leader in sustainable technologies and cutting edge science. A significant rental income is generated from the residential properties and the farm buildings, many of which have been let as offices, workshops and storage units. The farm buildings offer a variety of development opportunities subject to securing the necessary planning consent. Situated on the edge of Sonning Common, some of the land may offer long term strategic development potential. Blounts Farm is offered for sale as a whole or in six lots by private treaty: Lot 1 Blounts Farmhouse and outbuildings set in about 1.05 acres (0.42 hectares) Lot 2 Appletree Cottage (subject to an AOC) and farm buildings set in about acres (5.05 hectares) Lot 3 Land at Blounts Farm extending to about acres (80.13 hectares) Lot 4 Land off Blounts Court Road extending to about acres (12.97 hectares) Lot 5 Home Farm Bungalow (subject to an AOC) and buildings set in about 0.6 acres (0.24 hectares) Lot 6 Little Sparrows extending to about 9.22 acres (3.73 hectares)

6 LOT 1 LOT 1 - BLOUNTS FARMHOUSE With the oldest elements dating back to the 16th Century, Blounts Farmhouse, historically known as Blounts Court Farmhouse, is an attractive eight bedroom farmhouse over three floors. The farmhouse is Grade II Listed and principally brick built under a plain tiled roof. The farmhouse has a wealth of period features including exposed timbers and six panelled doors. The ground floor comprises the entrance hall, dining room, drawing room, sitting room, kitchen/breakfast room, utility room, WC and boot room. There is a cellar which contains the boiler and wine storage. The first floor has four bedrooms, a family bathroom and an en suite shower room. The second floor has four attic bedrooms with a family bathroom. A full renovation, including re-roofing, of the house was undertaken between to modernise the property. The house is surrounded by gardens principally laid to lawn. To the west of the farmhouse is a garage and carport. To the south and east of the farmhouse is the Granary and former collecting yard which are currently let for office and storage use. These buildings offer scope for other uses subject to securing the necessary planning consents. The farmhouse and some of the buildings are currently let. See the Data Room for full details. LOT 1 LOT 1 LOT 1

7 BLOUNTS FARMHOUSE Approximate Gross Internal Floor Area sq m (4074 sq ft) Not to scale. For identification purposes only. Cellar Ground Floor First Floor Second Floor

8 LOT 2 LOT 2 LOT 2 APPLETREE COTTAGE AND FARM BUILDINGS, BLOUNTS FARM Lot 2 comprises Appletree Cottage, a three bedroom timber bungalow which is subject to an Agricultural Occupancy Condition, together with the farm buildings, the majority of which are now used for office, workshop and storage uses. The property generates a significant rental income and extends to about acres (5.05 hectares) in total. Appletree Cottage, which has its own road access, is situated by the main entrance to the property. The bungalow comprises kitchen, dining room, study, 3 bedrooms and a family bathroom. Appletree Cottage has been occupied by the Farm Manager, who is retiring and moving away from the farm on completion of the sale. The farm buildings comprise a mixture of traditional and modern style farm buildings including two Grade II Listed timber framed threshing barns, two former milking parlours, Dutch barns, steel portal frame calf sheds, timber pole barns and a variety of other structures. There are also eight shipping containers. These buildings and structures have been utilised by a mixture of occupiers for a variety of uses including offices, workshops, storage and retail units for a number of years. The farm buildings site offers scope for development, either to generate further income or to develop the site for other commercial or residential uses, subject to securing the necessary planning consent. A more detailed description of the buildings and a schedule of the occupiers can be found in the Data Room. There is a secondary access for the property to the east of The Shaw, an area of woodland. LOT 2 LOT 2

9 LOT 2 LOTS 1 AND 2

10 LOT 3 LOT 3 LOT 3

11 LOT 5 LOT 4 LOT 6 LOT 3 LAND AT BLOUNTS FARM Extending to about acres (80.13 hectares), the land comprises: Arable: acres (64.37 hectares) Permanent pasture: acres (11.72 hectares) Woodland, tracks and miscellaneous: 9.97 acres (4.03 hectares) The arable land has been farmed under an arable rotation by F E Doble and Son. The cropping rotation has included winter wheat, poppies, spring barley and oil seed rape. The grassland is fenced for cattle and the majority of field benefit from mains fed water troughs. Most fields are bordered by mature hedges. There are two sets of farm buildings: Middle Barn an 6 bay Dutch barn with lean-to on either side with corrugated iron roof, part concrete floor, part stone floor and part timber Yorkshire boarding. Measures about 28m by 19m. Middle Barn is currently let for storage. Bottom Barn an 6 bay timber pole barn with corrugated iron roof and cladding, dirt floor and part brick walling. Measures about 27m by 11.5m. LOT 4 LAND OFF BLOUNTS COURT ROAD Extending to about acres (12.97 hectares), the property is split in to two fields namely Parks and Cricket Field. Parks extends to about acres (9.52 hectares) and is farmed under an arable rotation whilst Cricket Field is down to permanent pasture. Their position on the north east side of Sonning Common and adjoining Johnson Matthey, an employment site, suggests that they may have some long term strategic development opportunities subject to gaining the necessary planning consent.

12 LOT 5 LOT 5 LOT 5 HOME FARM, BLOUNTS COURT ROAD, RG4 9RT Home Farm comprises Home Farm Bungalow, a three bedroom timber bungalow built subject to an Agricultural Occupancy Condition together with outbuildings and Home Farm Barn. Home Farm Bungalow comprises kitchen, sitting room, three bedrooms, family bathroom and a conservatory. The bungalow enjoys a private garden and has a large outbuilding used for storage and parking of cars. Home Farm Barn is a brick and slate traditional farm building that has been used as a workshop for a number of years. Next to Home Farm Barn is a timber building used for storage. Subject to securing the necessary planning consent, Lot 5 offers scope for development owing to its location on the edge of Sonning Common and direct access on to Blounts Court Road. The house and buildings are currently let. See the Data Room for full details. LOT 6 LITTLE SPARROWS Located on the edge of Sonning Common and promoted through South Oxfordshire District Council s Strategic Housing and Economic Land Availability Assessment (SHELAA) process, Little Sparrows extends to about 9.22 acres (3.73 hectares). The field has been used for car boot sales and other events including a Ferrari owners event in July 2017 as it benefits from good road access off Blounts Court Road. The field is down to permanent pasture and bordered by hedges. LOT 6 LOT 5

13 GENERAL REMARKS AND STIPULATIONS Tenure and Possession The freehold of the property is offered for sale subject to existing tenancies detailed in the Data Room. Data Room There is a Data Room containing further information on the property. Contact the Vendor s agent for access. Basic Payment Scheme Much of the farmland in Lots 1 to 5 is registered for payments under the Basic Payment Scheme and all the Entitlements relevant to this land will be transferred to the Purchaser(s) on completion of the sale. For the avoidance of doubt, the Vendor will retain the 2017 payment. Environmental Stewardship The majority of the farm has been entered into an Entry Level Environmental Stewardship Scheme which ends on 30th November Soils According to the Soil Survey of England and Wales, the majority of the farm lies over Hornbeam 1 and Charity 2 soils. Hornbeam 1 soils are deep loams and clayey soils over chalk and Charity 2 soils are known to be well drained flinty fine silty soils. Both are suited to cereals and grassland. The soils are classified as being Grade 3. Cropping Cropping records are available in the Data Room. Ingoing Tenant Right The Purchaser(s) shall, in addition to the purchase price, take over and pay for the following items of tenant right: Hay and straw, if any, at market value; Growing crops and other tillages, post harvest sprays and other acts of husbandry to include costs of all cultivations, chemicals and fertilizers at cost or in accordance with CAAV costings (whichever is greater); Enhancement will be charged on all crops at a rate of 20 per acre per month from sowing date to completion; Grass leys at face value or cost (whichever is greater); Consumables and all other stores including feed stuffs, seed, fertilizers and fuel, including domestic oil at cost; RMV s and UMV s will be charged at 20 per acre. LOT 4 Ingoing Tenant Right values to be agreed and paid on the date of completion. VAT will be payable where applicable. Holdover Holdover may be required for growing crops and the storage of crops / machinery in certain farm buildings until 29th September Employees There will be no employees on the farm who are subject to TUPE Regulations. The current Farm Manager is retiring on completion of the sale. Overage / Uplift Provision Lots 4 and 6 are sold subject to an overage / uplift provision through which the Vendor will benefit from 30% of any uplift in value arising from the implementation of planning permission for any nonagricultural use of the land for a period of 30 years from the date of sale. Town and Country Planning Interested parties are advised to make their own enquiries in respect of any planning issues and development opportunities relating to the Blounts Farm, and any part of it, direct to South Oxfordshire District Council. Local Authorities South Oxfordshire District Council. Tel Oxfordshire County Council. Tel Designations The following properties are Grade II Listed: Blounts Farmhouse (Listing ID ) Threshing Barn (Listing ID ) It is understood that a number of other buildings around these listed buildings would be deemed to fall within the curtilage of a listed building. The whole property falls within a Nitrate Vulnerable Zone (NVZ) and an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB). Wayleaves, Easements and Rights of Way The property is sold subject to and with the benefit of all rights, including rights of way, whether public or private, light, support, drainage, water and electricity supplies and any other rights and obligations, easements and proposed wayleaves for masts, pylons, stays, cables, drains and water, gas and other pipes, whether referred to in the Conditions of Sale or not.

14 LOT 3 LOT 2 There are a number of footpaths and bridleways that cross the property, as shown on the sale plan and detailed in the Data Room. Lot 3 enjoys a full right of way from the public highway between points A-D-E (with the right to establish a new track on Lot 4 to run from a new road entrance within 25 metres of B and running B-C-D and on to E) and F-G over Lot 2, subject to contributions toward maintenance. Lot 4 has a full right of way from the public highway between points A-D, subject to contributions toward maintenance. The farm enjoys a right of way between points H-I along the track coloured blue. If the farm is sold in Lots, a number of other rights of way and access may need to be created for the practical enjoyment of the property and to accommodate rights within existing tenancies. The Vendor and his family reserve the right to make occasional visits to Chalk Pit (OS.0090) on Chalk Hill in Lot 3, where family ashes have historically been scattered. Council Tax Blounts Farmhouse Band F (2017/2018 2,407.67) Appletree Cottage Band D (2017/2018 1,666.85) Home Farm Bungalow Band D (2017/2018 1,666.85) Services Blounts Farmhouse: Mains water and electricity. Private drainage. Oil central heating; Appletree Cottage: Mains water and electricity. Private drainage. Oil central heating; Home Farm Bungalow: Mains water and electricity. Private drainage. Oil central heating; Farm buildings: Mains water and electricity (three-phase). Farmland: Mains services are available in the locality. If the farm is sold in Lots, cross-rights will be granted between Lots to facilitate access to services. Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) Blounts Farmhouse exempt as Grade II Listed Appletree Cottage E Home Farm Bungalow E Please see the Data Room for EPC ratings of other buildings. Fixtures and Fittings Items mentioned in these sale particulars are included in the freehold sale. All other fixtures, fittings and furnishings are expressly excluded from the sale, although some may be available by separate negotiation. Minerals In so far as they are owned they are included in the sale of the property. Sporting Rights It is understood that sporting rights are included in the sale of the property. Value Added Tax (VAT) Any guide prices quoted or discussed are exclusive of VAT. In the event of a sale of the property or any part of it, or any right attached to it becoming a chargeable event for purposes of VAT, such tax would be payable in addition to the purchase price. Method of Sale The property is to be sold as a whole or in six lots by private treaty. Solicitors Freeths 5000 Oxford Business Park South, Oxford, OX4 2BH Tel Attn. Iain Davis / Laura Czapski Postcode RG4 9PA Directions From Reading take the A4155 over the River Thames where you bear right along the Henley Road. After a short while turn left on to Peppard Road the B481 towards Sonning Common. Continue into Sonning Common and take the second road (Widmore Lane) on the right, signed for Binfield Heath and Harpsden. At the top of the hill turn right on to Blounts Court Road and after 350 metres the entrance to the farm is found on the left hand side after a black timber barn and Leylandii hedge. Viewing Viewings are strictly by appointment only with Savills. Given the potential hazards of a working farm, viewers should take care and precaution with regard to their personal safety when viewing the farm, particularly around vehicles, farm machinery and buildings.

15 LOTS 1 AND 2 IMPORTANT NOTICE Savills, their clients and any joint agents give notice that: 1. They are not authorised to make or give any representation or warranties in relation to the property either here or elsewhere, either on their own behalf or on behalf of their client or otherwise. They assume no responsibility for any statement that may be made in these particulars. These particulars do not form part of any offer or contract and must not be relied upon as statements or representations of fact. 2. Any areas, measurements or distances are approximate. The text, photographs and plans are guidance only and are not necessarily comprehensive. It should not be assumed that the property has all necessary planning, building regulation or other consents and Savills have not tested any services, equipment or facilities. Purchasers must satisfy themselves by inspection or otherwise. 3. The reference to any mechanical or electrical equipment or other facilities at the property shall not constitute a representation (unless otherwise stated) as to its state or condition or that it is capable of fulfilling its intended function, and prospective purchasers/tenants should satisfy themselves as to the fitness of such equipment for their requirements. 4. The VAT position relating to the property may change without notice. Particulars prepared: October Photography taken: June/August /10/16 PH. Kingfisher Print and Design

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