STANSTED HOUSE GARDEN CENTRE

STANSTED PARK ROWLANDS CASTLE, HAMPSHIRE, PO9 6DX

ESTABLISHED GARDEN CENTRE TO LET

A garden centre has been established on site since May 1999 and there is an opportunity for a new lease without any ingoing business premium.

The garden centre is located within the grounds of Stansted House, which forms part of

a Country Estate extensively open to the public. The estate includes a Country House with a busy programme of weddings, corporate

days and public events, part of the building having been converted into executive office accommodation with circa 180 staff and in addition to the garden centre there is the

very successful Pavilion Tea-Room with 150 covers, a farm shop, a maze, light railway as well as the gardens, arboretum, chapel of St Paul and children’s play area.

Bartholomew House, 38 London Road,

Newbury, Berkshire, RG14 1JX Fax: (01635) 551440 e-mail: sales@quintons.co.uk www.quintons.co.uk

LOCATION - The garden centre is located at Stansted House, a stately home located in a well visited country park with good access to the A3/A27/M27 corridor and the south coast towns of Portsmouth, Southampton, Petersfield and Chichester and further afield due to the other attractions on site. SITUATION - There are main line railway stations close by at Rowlands Castle and Havant. THE SITE - There is good security on site with the house adjoining occupied by the Grounds Manager and electric gates at the lodge house which close during non-trading hours. From the site plan provided, we estimate that the site area extends to approximately 1.376 hectares (3.401 acres) to include the car park. STANSTED HOUSE AND PARK Stansted house has become a major attraction in recent years. The visitor site is extensive and includes Stansted House - A Grade II Listed Country House open to the public through the summer. The house is extensive and in addition provides commercial office space for circa 200 people. It does weddings, corporate days and parties of all types in addition to a number of public events through the year. Grounds and Gardens around Stansted House including Bessborough Arboretum Stansted Park Farm Shop (opened 2011) which is expanding with a newly opened butchery. The Pavilion Tea Room – set in the former palm house in the walled gardens. Stansted Maze – occupying a further walled garden in the complex. Stansted Park Light Railway – a steam railway which runs through the adjacent Bessborough Arboretum. The Dutch Garden – a further walled garden opened by Alan Titchmarsh in 2005. Childrens Play Area – major extension planned in 2014 to meet increasing demand. The Chapel of St. Paul – Grade I listed and open to the public. The Stansted Park Foundation continues to develop as an attraction and improve the garden and with events being organised throughout the year to include hot air balloons, vintage cars, antiques fair and Christmas fair, with a children’s play area to be substantially enlarged and improved. Stansted Park light railway is accessed from the garden centre car park offering rides around the arboretum. In 2011 the very successful Victorian tea room was enlarged to 150 covers, and a farm shop was opened which is already too small and where plans for a substantial enlargement are being considered. The semi-derelict second Victorian glasshouse is due to be refurbished into an information centre and stately home shop in due course, and there are plans to double the size of the car park when appropriate.

Green Energy In 2013, capitalising on strong public interest, the estate installed a Biofuel heating system for this complex of buildings. This carbon-free system, using a renewable source of energy has generated a lot of public interest. Glass walls have been installed in the boiler room to enable the public to walk through the garden centre to view the system. The system produces heat for the garden centre through a heat meter at a cost of 6p/KW hour – around 30%less than the price of oil, 40% less than the cost of heating on Propane. Over the last few years substantial improvements to the Garden Centre have been undertaken to include new entrance, paving, cladding, externally and internally. In addition, Stansted Park is now the gateway to the South Downs National Park, on the basis that Stansted Park has 36 miles of paths which lead to the Downs, which is another reason why potential customers to the retail attractions come to the Park. DESCRIPTION- Access to the house and garden centre is up a long drive with parkland on either side and close to the garden centre the road splits giving access to the left to a gravel car park for approximately 40-50 vehicles close to the chapel and Victorian conservatory tea-room or right into an attractively landscaped car park to the front of the garden centre offering approximately 140 spaces with overspill car parking. At the far end of the car park there is access to the miniature railway, and to the rear of the car park there is access into the farm shop courtyard and maze, which in turn gives access to the gardens and the Victorian tea room, which can also be accessed directly from the Garden centre planteria. Access into the garden centre is into an 18 bay glasshouse with concrete floor and polycarbonate roof which is divided by glass partitions, 12 bays and six bays and which is largely open plan other than for some offices, staff rooms and staff and customer WC accommodation. To the rear is an open sales area highlighted in brown on the plan, used for the display and sale of hard landscaping materials, sheds, stoneware etc. To the side there is access out under a nine bay glass canopy into the planteria which has a hard standing base and where plants are generally displayed on raised moveable benches within a walled garden. From the planteria there is access into a Victorian walled garden laid mainly to lawn with a children’s play area where at one end there is a large Victorian conservatory used as a tea-room. There is then access to the Dutch Garden a further walled garden planted as a sensory garden where the chapel can be seen behind. There is a third walled garden accessed from the second which is planted with a yew maze.

ACCOMMODATION We have measured the premises in accordance with the Code of Measuring Practice published by The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors and the floor areas are as follows measured gross internal:- 1. 12 Bay glasshouse 1804.8 sq.m. 19,427 sq.ft. 2. 6 Bay glasshouse 902.4 sq.m. 9,713 sq.ft. 3. 9 Bay glass canopy 388.8 sq.m. 4,185 sq.ft. 4. Polytunnel loading area 46.7 sq.m. 503 sq.ft. 5. Wooden and brick store, could be retail 52.3 sq.m. 562 sq.ft. Total 3,195.0 sq.m. 34,390 sq.ft.

GARDEN CENTRE

SERVICES - We are informed that the garden centre is connected to mains electricity and water supplies and the WC accommodation is connected to a private drainage system. Heating is via Biofuel Heating System with a back-up system of liquid propane gas fired ceiling mounted gas radiant heaters. RATING ASSESSMENT - We have been verbally informed by the Rating Department of Chichester District Council that the premises are assessed for rates as follows: Description in the List Garden Centre & Premises Rateable Value £45,500 Commercial Rate in the £ 48.2 pence (2014/2015) Rates Payable £21,931.00 (2014/2015) excluding transitional relief TENURE – The entire country estate is held in the ownership of a charitable trust and thus there will be no change of landlord/sale of the freehold in the future. The Trustees of the Stansted Park Foundation are offering a new fully repairing and insuring lease for a term to be agreed. The rent is to be 6.5% of turnover subject to a minimum of £50,000 per annum. The tenant is responsible to contribute 50% of the costs incurred by the landlord for maintaining the access road, car parks and gates to Emsworth Lodge, plus the servicing and maintenance of the private drainage system. The use in the lease is for nursery and garden centre for wholesale and retail sale of products normally sold at a garden centre and other uses ancillary thereto. Although there is the successful Pavilion Tea Room operating from an adjacent site, the Garden Centre operator will be encouraged to open its own catering facility, because the existing facility is operating at or very close to capacity. In addition, concessions in the Garden Centre will be actively encouraged.

Stansted Park Brochure

TOWN PLANNING We have had sight of a copy of a town planning consent from Chichester District Council dated the 24th September 1988 along with agreed list of products which can be sold, copies of which can be made available to seriously interested parties. THE BUSINESS The current tenants are nurserymen who we understand are suffering cash flow problems on an unrelated business due to the very poor two seasons of 2012 and 2013 experienced by the whole industry, and they are thus vacating the site no later than 31st December 2014 or earlier if required. Although we have not had sight of any financial information, we are informed that the site is turning over in the region of £500,000 CONCESSIONS Operating adjacent to the garden centre is the Pavilion Tea-Room and the farm shop. It is intended to put a second-hand book shop into the Garden Centre, but this can be removed as and when required. Historically there have been a number of concessions within the Garden Centre which would include bonsai, contemporary homes, sculptures, windows, aquatics etc. GENERAL REMARKS/COMMENTS APPERTAINING TO VALUE This is an excellent opportunity to take on an established but under performing garden centre within the developing visitor attractions in the grounds of Stansted Park with all the many attractions that it offers. There is also the opportunity to open a catering facility within the Garden Centre buildings and to bring on concessions.

FARM SHOP

PAVILION TEAROOM

PROPOSAL - We are instructed to offer a new lease of up to 40 years, seeking rental offers in the region of £50,000 per annum linked to 6.5% of turnover. There is the opportunity to take on the Garden Centre business with no ingoing premium other than perhaps monies to purchase the fixtures and fittings from the existing tenant plus stock. The base rent will be reviewed after two years. For seriously interested parties we will make available:-

• Stock/plant and machinery - A detailed list.

• Staff – A list of names and length of service.

• A draft lease FINANCE - In addition to our property services we have extensive experience in raising money for individuals and businesses. If you want to discuss your requirements please call Simon Quinton Smith on 01635 262520/07785 732460

LEGAL COSTS - Each party to pay their own legal costs. VIEWING - Strictly by appointment through agents:- Quinton Edwards Bartholomew House 38 London Road NEWBURY Berkshire. RG14 1JX TEL: 01635 551441 FAX: 01635 551440 *Subject to Contract *All Figures Quoted are Exclusive of VAT *All Measurements Are Approximate 15th May 2014

Misrepresentation Act This information and the descriptions and measurements herein do not form part of any contract and whilst every effort has been made to ensure accuracy, this cannot be guaranteed