Land for sale

Location

Sturge Farm in South Gloucestershire is 2 miles east of the large village of Almondsbury. The farm is close to excellent travel infrastructure with easy access off the A38 and only 1 mile from the M4 and M5 motorway at junction 15. It is also only 8 miles north of Bristol city centre.

Description

Sturge Farm has 95 acres of productive pasture and amenity woodland with a large general purpose farm building and separate American style stable block. Small areas of the farm have newly planted trees arranged in further small copses and avenues, with post and rail fencing. The land is level and down to grass, with some well maintained post and rail fencing. It has been used to graze cattle, horses, and sheep and produces excellent quality hay.

Farm buildings

Stable Block
This American style, open fronted, two storey, steel portal frame stable block was built in 2008 (75′4″ x 24′10″). It has a corrugated fibre cement sheet roof, with steel box profiled sheeting on the sides and external windows covered with red louvers. There is a rainwater collection system from the roof, which collects into tanks at both ends of the building. The two ends are brick and concrete block. They comprise a tack room and first floor fruit store/farm office at the southern end (18′8″ x 24′10″) with an internal staircase. The northern rooms (15′4″ x 24′10″) consist of a first aid room, with changing facilities (including a tiled shower room with W/C, basin and food preparation area); there is also a larger general purpose room upstairs. Between the built up ends are three large stables (each 15′ x 12′) and there is an area of concrete in front of the building. The stables have concrete block partitions with heavy duty metalwork on top and solid wooden half stable doors. The stable block is within easy access of all the lots on offer and is in lot 7(b).

General Purpose Farm Building
The second building, also built in 2008, is a two storey steel portal frame (72′ x 54′3″), with profiled sheet metal sides and roof, a concrete base and two separate steel vehicular roller doors. There is a first floor mezzanine ‘gallery’ suspended on iron girders & wooden beams, with a chipboard floor. There are some internal blockwork walls with internal windows; parts of these dividing walls are rendered and have plaster board in place. The building is in lot 10.

Field Shelter
There is also a steel framed, profile sheeted infield horse shelter (10’ x 15’) in lot 7(b).

Land & soil

All of the land is currently in grass, some of which was reseeded with a perennial rye grass and clover mix in 2007. The soil is strong with open drainage ditches at the southern end of the farm. There is no record of any land drains however the current owner has drained small problem areas. In 2008 20 acres of lot 4 received 70 tonnes of lime and during the winter of 2009/2010 lime was added to lots 1, 6 and the whole of lot 4. In recent years the leys have been under improved pasture management and are producing significantly more hay as a result.

The soil is Denchworth; a slowly permeable soil of fine loam over clay and is suggested to be suitable for winter cereals and short term grass leys. The land has an Agricultural Land Classification of Grade 3.

Woodland

There are two stands of amenity woodland (lots 2 and 3); Lot 2 comprises predominantly mature Ash, interspersed with Thorn and a few Limes. Lot 3 is predominantly mature Oak and Ash with some pines and other broadleaves along the boundaries. Overall Lot 2 has thicker ground cover, with new growth emerging, whilst Lot 3 has received more direct management in previous years, having been recently professionally thinned under a Forestry Commission licence.

Public footpaths and bridleways

A public footpath runs along the western boundary through lots 6, 8 and 12 (marked on the plan with a broken bold black line).
There is also a public footpath and bridleway that enters lot 10 via a gateway at point A from the neighbour’s land which continues past the general purpose building and the stable block, along the eastern boundary of lot 4 and exits the land at the southeast corner of lot 3 (marked on the plan with a broken black line).

Services

Water – A metered mains supply enters the farm at the main farm entrance (lot 10) and feeds directly into the stable block supplying the wash basins and shower. The W/C is supplied with recycled rain water from the guttering system as are the water troughs located in lots 7(a), 7(b) and 8 which are supplied by above ground pipes. The water trough in lot 11 comes off the mains at the farm entrance.

Each lot will be granted the right to connect to the mains water supply which will include the right to lay and maintain pipes across adjoining lots. Each purchaser will be responsible for the installation of any water infrastructure including the installation of sub-meters and the shared maintenance costs of the private water pipe from the point at which it leaves the public mains supply. The purchaser of lot 10 will be responsible for paying the metered mains bill and collecting payment but will have the right to disconnect users for late payment.

Electricity – Newly laid (unconnected) electricity cables run underground from the stable block north into lot 5 and south into lots 8, 9 and 12. If required mains electricity is available from an overhead power cable which runs along Gaunt’s Earthcott Lane past the farm entrance. Unconnected cabling has been laid to the Stable Block and General Purpose Building.

Each lot will have the right to connect to the mains electricity supply which will include the right to lay and maintain electricity cables across other lots.

Sewage – It is not known where the facilities in the stables drain to.

Access

The main access for all lots except lot 12 are two tracks (marked brown on the plan) (the track along the northern boundary of lot 4 is not made up and is a “field way”) running from the farm entrance off Gaunt’s Earthcott Lane opposite Oak Lye Cottage. Lots 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 7(b) are accessed by one track that runs north past the front of the stables. Lots 6, 7(a), 8 and 9 are accessed via a second track forking after passing the general purpose building in lot 10. Lot 12 has a separate entrance off Gaunt’s Earthcott Lane located 250m west of the main farm entrance; this entrance has planning consent to gain access and egress from the public highway for all purposes.

Planning

The Vendor will provide appropriate guarantees and written confirmation from the planning authority that the farm complies with the appeal decision/enforcement notice, reference app/P0119/C/09/2114332 given on the 2nd March 2010. For further details please refer to the Vendors’ agent.

Single farm payment

34.84 hectares were registered with the rpa for the Single Farm Payment in 2011 and rpa plans are available. The purchaser will be required to adhere to the cross compliance rules of the Single Payment Scheme for the rest of the 2011 scheme year. No guarantee is given by the Vendor or the selling agent that these accurately record the ‘eligible area’ on which future sfp can be claimed. A purchaser when making future SP5 claims should carry out their own survey of the “eligible land” and not rely on what the Vendor has claimed on before. The Vendor has entitlements registered in his name and these may be available by separate negotiation.

Environmental and agricultural schemes

The farm is not in any agri-environmental schemes.

Nitrate vulnerable zones

The farm is not in a Nitrate Vulnerable Zone.

Tenant right & tenure

There will be no out-going tenant right valuation and no claim for waste or dilapidations. The freehold of the farm is offered with vacant possession.

Title deed rights & conditions

There is a Covenant with the transferee (and their successors) binding the whole farm (all lots) and each and every part thereof for 20 years from 2006. If the transferee obtains planning permission for the construction of residential or commercial buildings other than agricultural buildings, the transferee upon disposition will be required to pay to the previous transferor a sum equivalent to 50% of either the open market value or the sale price of the property (or any parts thereof) less a sum equivalent to the agricultural value of the said property and professional fees.

All boundary ownerships are marked with “T” marks, where known.

A Deed of Grant exists allowing the Central Electricity Generating Board to erect, retain use, maintain, repair, renew, inspect and remove electric lines and works on or over lots 6, 7(a), 7(b) 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12.This is currently in respect to the pylon in lot 7(b) and its power lines.

A Deed of Grant also exists guaranteeing two neighbours (and their successors) a right of way at all times with or without motor vehicles (inc. Agricultural vehicles) up part of the farm entrance track and then only by foot or horse to the gate at point A in lot 10. The neighbours are covenanted to contributing 50% of the expenses involved in making up the track and adjoining fences and maintaining them in good repair and condition.

There is an easement allowing the construction/maintenance of a Council owned gas pipe across lot 4 from points B to C.

A 99 year lease was created in 1997 with Seabank Power Ltd (and its successors) allowing the construction and maintenance of a gas pipeline located in lots 1 and 4 running from point D to E.

The purchasers of lots 5 and 11 will be responsible for erecting stock proof fencing within three months of completion between points G and F and H and I.

The areas hatched red on the sale plan identified as “Ownership Query” relate to land the Vendor believes he purchased in 2006 but is not registered with him at the Land Registry. The areas have been fenced in and used by the Vendor since he purchased the farm. This mapping error the Vendor believes is the Land Registry’s responsibility but as this remains unresolved the Vendor will offer the following:
Defective right of way indemnity insurance over lot 10 for all the Lots except lots 11 and 12;
An undertaking that the Vendor or his successors in title will make whatever applications, including planning, that are necessary, to any Authority as required in order to create a widened access at this point, ensuring access is over land that is already within the registered title of lot 10.
Any rights or interests in these areas the Vendor has will be transferred to a purchaser.

Sporting, timber & mineral rights
All rights are included in the sale.

Viewing

Viewing buildings - By appointment only through Townsend Chartered Surveyors, Matford Centre, Matford Park Road, Exeter, EX2 8FD. Tel: Fax:
Email:
Land and outside of buildings – With a copy of this brochure in hand ensuring all gates are left closed and due respect and care is given to any stock.

Legal pack

A copy of the Legal Pack can be obtained from; Steve Thomas & Co, Deerland Chambers, Deerland Road, Haverfordwest, Dyfed, SA62 4NG. Tel: Fax: Email:

purchaser’S commission
A contribution to the Vendor’s sale costs of 1% of the sale price plus vat will be payable on exchange of contracts in addition to the 10% deposit.

Directions

Sturge Farm from Bristol follow the A38 northbound, carry on through Almondsbury and keep going until you pass over the M5 motorway. Take the first right turn onto Hortham Lane and continue for 1 mile. Take Gaunt’s Earthcott Lane for 700 metres and the entrance to Sturge Farm is on the left with a walled entrance. Alternatively if you are on the M5 exit at junction 15, join the A38 northbound at Almondsbury and follow the directions as above.

Authorities

Bristol City Council, The Council House, College Green, BS1 5TR Tel: South Gloucestershire Council, Thornbury One Stop Shop, Castle Street, Thornbury BS35 1HF Tel: Email: Rural Payments Agency, po Box 1058, Lancaster House, Hampshire Court, Newcastle Business Park, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE99 4YQ. Tel:

Easements

The property is sold subject to and with the benefit of all rights, including rights of way, whether public or private, light, sporting, drainage, gas, water and electricity supplies and other rights and obligations, easements, quasi-easements and restrictive covenants and all existing proposed wayleaves for masts, pylons, stays, cables, water, gas, or other pipes whether referred to in these particulars or not, and to the provisions of any Planning or Highways scheme of the County or Local Authorities.

Fixtures & fittings

If not specifically mentioned in the particulars, no fixtures and fittings are included in the sale, including fitted carpets, curtains, light fittings, garden ornaments etc. The Vendor may consider selling some items by separate negotiation. If electrical or other items are purchased from the Vendor, these have not been tested by Townsend Chartered Surveyors and therefore prospective purchasers must satisfy themselves as to their working order.

Sale plans

The sale plans are not to scale and should be used for reference only. Although carefully prepared the accuracy of these plans is not guaranteed.

Misrepresentation disclaimer

Any representations made by the Vendor or Townsend Chartered Surveyors whether orally or in writing and whether made prior hereto or contained herein is believed to be correct but its accuracy is not guaranteed. The Purchaser acknowledges that he has satisfied himself as to the accuracy thereof by inspection, measurement, search or otherwise and that he has entered into the contract on reliance upon his own researches and not reliant upon any such representation made by the Vendor or Townsend Chartered Surveyors.

Any description and information given should not be relied on as a statement or representation of the fact that the property or its services or any appliances are in good condition or working order. Photographs show only certain parts and aspects of the property at the time they were taken. Any areas, measurements or distances given are approximate only. Any reference to alterations to or use of, any part of the property is not a statement that any necessary planning, Building Regulations or other consent has been obtained. These matters must be verified by any intending Purchaser.