Built in 1821 and formerly used as the Morpeth Court House, this stunning Grade II listed building has been granted planning permission to be transformed into a restaurant.

Situated on Castle Bank, in the historic market town of Morpeth, Northumberland, this grand medieval-style property offers plenty to whet the appetite – boasting a range of original features, including a main hall and auditorium.

One of the most unusual properties we have presented to the market, The Court House comprises character throughout, with extensive open space making it the perfect venue to host a themed banquet or offer dinner with a show… spot of jousting anyone?

The property is available to let on a new Full Repairing and Insuring lease at a commencing rental of £50,000 per annum on a term to be agreed.

Alternatively, the vendor would dispose of the freehold interest for offers in the region of £750,000, subject to contract.

For further information, or to arrange a viewing, please contact me on Kevin McGorie on 0191 269 0174, email kevin.mcgorie@sw.co.uk. Alternatively, Darren Naylor, on 0191 255 7777 or email d.naylor@edwin-thompson.co.uk

For further details, please click here to download the property particulars.

Kevin McGorie
Senior Surveyor, Agency
(0191) 269 0174
kevin.mcgorie@sw.co.uk

Entries invited

Following our extremely successful collective auction sale of Feed and Flour Milling Machinery & Equipment in 2012, we are currently inviting entries for the forthcoming repeat auction sale to be held in July this year.

If you have equipment that is surplus to requirements and wish to enter it into the forthcoming auction please contact Stephen Jepson or Roy Tubman (contact details listed below) to discuss the matter further.

It would assist if you could email brief details and photographs.

Stephen Jepson
Email: stephen.jepson@sw.co.uk
Telephone: +44 (0) 161 259 7056

or

Roy Tubman
Email: roy.tubman@sw.co.uk
Telephone: +44 (0) 161 259 7063

Alternatively please click here to request the auction catalogue when available

About our Machinery and Business Assets team

Our team offer a comprehensive range of services. Whether you need a detailed valuation of machinery, a desk appraisal, or you want to sell a single machine to a factory full of assets – we can help.

We operate throughout the United Kingdom, specifically in Bristol, Leeds, London, Manchester, Newcastle upon Tyne and Teesside. We also operate abroad, and have associate offices in Belfast, Dublin, mainland Europe, the US, India and the Far East.

Whilst a concern for many in the trade, an EMRO or the Late Night Levy, if administered properly, can be seen as a step towards addressing many of the perceived problems associated with excessive alcohol consumption in the late night economy.

It remains to be seen however, if measures such as these will indeed tackle anti-social behaviour problems, or if, as has been expressed by the on-trade many times, that significantly discounted alcohol sold by the off-trade is a major cause of this national issue and, why, so many licensees continue to support the call for minimum pricing for alcohol, particularly in the off sales market.

You may have read about One Stop convenience stores selling 2 litre bottles of 7.5% Frosty Jack’s cider at £5. That equates to 30 units of alcohol at 17p per unit, enough to allow a woman to drink double her recommended weekly allowance for just £5! Under a 45p per unit minimum pricing policy, the cost of this alcohol would nearly triple to £13, a much less attractive proposition.

Recently, however, there have been reports of the proposed minimum pricing policy being shelved, after claims that Government Ministers, including Home Secretary Theresa May and former Health Secretary Andrew Lansley have raised opposition.

We have said before that, in general, Publicans provide a safe and supervised environment, promoting responsible drinking, with many signing up to best practice schemes such as Pubwatch or Best Bar None. Nonetheless, licencees are regularly blamed for the alcohol related problems in society. Whereas other retailers seem able to sell alcoholic drinks at heavily discounted prices with impunity, yet avoid the bad press.

It is without question a difficult balance to achieve between prohibitive pricing or restrictive practices such as EMROs and influencing health outcomes, but we do believe there is still an imbalance against the On Trade and Government has the potential to redress this and also achieve a reduction in the negative outcomes of excessive alcohol consumption, by the implementation of a sensible reasoned minimum pricing policy.

As test cases continue to mount up across the UK, whether a sensible policy can be achieved, and what the impact will be across the licensed trade, remain questions that very much still need to be answered.

David Downing
Partner, Valuation
(0191) 269 0151
david.downing@sw.co.uk

I am delighted to announce that Sanderson Weatherall has once again been named Yorkshire and the North East Property Advisor of the Year by Estates Gazette for an impressive ninth consecutive year.

Despite the change to the judging criteria which meant firms were judged according to their activity and who had transacted the most space proportionate to the sector they operated in, Sanderson Weatherall managed to retain the award, ranking number one.

Congratulations to Gerald Jennings Land Securities who also picked up the EG Developers Award at the same event for the Trinity Scheme.

The EG Awards have acted as a great boost for the whole team during what have been some of the most challenging times for the property sector. Our knowledge of the local market is second to none and this has really helped us to drive the business forward, opening a new Bristol office, acquiring a new partner in Edwards and partners and ultimately being able to service our client’s needs to the best of our abilities.

Andrew Ellis
Managing Partner
(0113) 221 6040
andrew.ellis@sw.co.uk

The most substantial letting was to the Dart Group (Jet2) who took 71,000 sq ft at The Mint making this 115,000 sq ft building almost fully occupied. Take-up was also boosted by the KPMG pre-let at 1 Sovereign Square (Plot A) of 61,250 sq ft and Shulmans’ pre-commitment to 15,160 sq ft at No10 Wellington Place; both deals satisfying long running office requirements.

We saw a solid performance in 2012 with occupier activity slightly up on 2011 levels. In contrast city centre take-up in this first quarter is actually higher than the first six months of last year and we have seen more activity from the professional services sector during this period.

The pre-lets agreed with KPMG and Shulmans has allowed Leeds City Council/MUSE and MEPC respectively to kick start some much needed, and widely anticipated, office development in the city core and is a clear sign that confidence is returning to the market.

Whilst there is now a relative lack of Grade A built stock, the demise of law firm Cobbetts will bring a further 34,000 sq ft of good quality space to the market at No1 Whitehall Riverside. However, there are currently a number of larger occupier requirements in the market for built space so we expect this situation to persist for some time.

The out-of-town market recorded 95,907 sq ft of take-up across 27 deals. This was a 73 percent increase compared with the same quarter last year (56,000 sq ft). Whist last year’s volumes were led by lots of smaller sized lettings; there were seven transactions over 5,000 sq ft in Q1 2013 compared to just three during the same period last year.

The largest deal was the 17,033 sq ft letting at Thorpe Park to Balfour Beatty Group Ltd. This was followed by Hermes taking 10,800 sq ft at, Capitol Park

A decent level of churn, regears and lease events are still anticipated to drive the market coupled with the strong possibility of some occupiers following the lead of KPMG and Shulmans and committing to pre-lets.

The Leeds Office Agents’ Forum was established to collate and distribute definitive office market information. Its members include BNP Paribas, Carter Towler, CBRE, Colliers International, DTZ, GVA, Jones Lang LaSalle, Knight Frank, Lambert Smith Hampton, Ryden, Sanderson Weatherall, Savills and WSB.

Richard Dunn
Partner, Agency
(0113) 221 6137
richard.dunn@sw.co.uk

The consortium of five award-winning practices of chartered surveyors led by Sanderson Weatherall LLP, has secured a place on the Government Procurement Service’s (GPS) four-year Estates Professional Service Framework RM928.

With a combined turnover of £39.7 million and more than 600 staff, RAP includes Sanderson Weatherall, Alder King, Ryden, Harris Lamb and Budworth Hardcastle.

The group will now be able to provide a full range of professional services for use by all UK public sector bodies including (but not limited to) central government departments and their agencies, non departmental government bodies, NHS bodies and local authorities. For absolute assurance that you can access the framework, please check the OJEU contract notice published on the Government Procurement Service website.

Head of Public Sector Consultancy at Sanderson Weatherall, Simon Elliot, said: “We were thrilled to learn that the Regional Agent Partnership had secured a place on the panel. Together, we provide truly exceptional regional exposure and award winning knowledge through a network of 26 UK offices.

“We believe that the quality of our partner-led service offering, regional strengths and our ability to provide value through our collaborative approach were the strong reasons for appointment onto the panel.

“It’s hugely encouraging the government has chosen to include consortium bids in this four-year agreement. We hope that this will help to provide a level playing field in our industry, and delivers on promises made by government to generally help SMEs to grow and expand in these tough economic times.”

Providing local and national property guidance on all valuation, rating, agency, building consultancy, strategic asset management, compulsory purchase and landlord and tenant issues, RAP is able to advise public sector organisations on a whole spectrum of property matters.

For more information about RAP please contact Simon Elliot on 0191 269 0136.

Sanderson Weatherall
www.sandersonweatherall.co.uk

The continual rise of internet retailing, tenant administrations and the revised location strategies of multiple retailers, combine to provide a challenging marketplace.

Traditional high streets are at the forefront of this change, with vacancy rates on the increase and rents declining in all but the most prime pitches. Add to this, the increase in business rates from April 1st this year which requires the retail sector to find an additional £175M on top of the extra £350M it paid in rates in 2012.

Therefore, it is no surprise that many brands are moving towards fewer stores located in only the largest regional shopping centres and top city centres. The large scheme owners are investing heavily in their prime centres, particularly regarding casual dining, entertainment and leisure uses. This is all aimed at creating a greater experience and variety for visitors, thus increasing dwell time and potential spend.

Given the tough economic climate, it is crucial for any UK city centre to continually evolve its retail and leisure offer in the face of increasingly diverse competition and Newcastle’s core is one such location that is certainly attracting significant investment at the moment.

Intu Properties has begun a £22 million refreshment programme of Eldon Square which will upgrade lighting, ceiling and floor finishes in its malls. Two new units will be created out of a redesigned Northumberland Street entrance which will totally revamp this junction. Add to this the completed Primark extension, and new BHS format, and things are looking up for Northumberland Street, having suffered somewhat in recent times.

Monument Mall will also handover this year. This redevelopment has already unveiled a new TK Maxx and is due to bring in Armani Exchange and Jamie’s Italian, with several other new entrants rumoured, including Hugo Boss.

When you add these names to those of other new stores confirmed over the past 12 months which include Jones Bootmaker, Cath Kidston, L’Occitane and Krispy Kreme, it is clear Newcastle retains its ability to attract quality brands.

Mike Ashley’s burgeoning stable of brands has been bolstered by the acquisition of Republic, hopefully safeguarding a significant number of jobs. Hilco’s proposed purchase of HMV will hopefully soon be clarified, resolving the fate of another high profile struggler.

Both though, occupy prime units suited to requirements for the city, leaving Newcastle in a position to view this current run of administrations as potential opportunities to attract new operators. Hopefully both will remain and be complemented by new additions elsewhere.

The rise of Grey Street as the prime casual dining pitch has also added complementary uses for the city which have previously been under-served. The soon-to-be arrivals of Carluccio’s, Grey St Café and Café Rouge will intensify the offer and provide city centre shoppers with a good reason to extend their day out.

Looking ahead, the sector will continue to feel the pressure caused by business rates, competition and subdued growth forecasts. However, Newcastle does have cause for some confidence in 2013, thanks to continued investment and its ability to diversify its offering through an increased number of attractive names.

Ben Cox
Associate Partner, Retail
(0191) 269 0143
ben.cox@sw.co.uk

Firstly, in support of our ‘locals’, the scrapping of the beer duty escalator following months of lobbying from the licensed sector has been confirmed, as well as a 1p cut in the price of a pint which is great news.

There was also the announcement that the planned September increase in fuel duty would not take place, much to the delight of motorists and businesses alike.

The Chancellor’s accelerated plans to raise the threshold at which individuals begin to pay tax from to £10,000 from April 2014, one year earlier than expected, will also raise a smile for many, as too will the decision to cut the rate of corporation tax to 20% from April 2015, hopefully, helping to spread the Government’s message that “Britain is open for business”.

However, when it came to rates, it was sadly a case of a major opportunity missed to give much needed relief to business ratepayers from another increase in business rates coming into effect from 1st April.

It’s a bit like that film you’ve seen before, yet still find yourself unable to move from the sofa until the closing credits. So, we watched with bated breath to see if the Chancellor would do anything on business rates, or readdress the empty property rates (EPRs) situation, but, as suspected, it was, sadly, omitted altogether.

This is a definite blow for the commercial property market. Business rates remain a major stumbling block for the commercial market, while EPRs stand as one of the largest headaches for landlords of existing stock.

The Chancellor presented this budget as a one “for those who aspire”. It’s safe to say that our retail sector would very much like to aspire to rosier times, so the decision not to give any sort of concession on the business rates increase due in April 2013, does nothing to help this market.

Yet again, we are left with the vague hope that something will come later in the year from the Autumn Statement. Let’s hope that these on-going concerns soon capture the attention of the Government…

Richard Farr
Partner, Rating and Regeneration
(0191) 269 0115
richard.farr@sw.co.uk

This news follows the recent announcement about our merger with Edwards & Partners, whose Tiverton office in Devon significantly strengthens our presence in the South West leisure market.

We are already offering a full range of services, including two specialist teams – retail & leisure and renewable energy town planning services.

Our strong retail and leisure agency team is run by Richard Saunders and James Woodard, who between them have over 25 years’ experience in the sector, acting on behalf of national and regional landlords/operators.

This duo offers a personalised, professional service with competitive fees and can react quickly to enquiries in the South West, the South Coast and South Wales.

James Davis, formerly with Aspire Planning & Design, heads a new town planning team that has particular expertise in renewables, especially wind farms. Ben Lewis also from Aspire, has joined James as an Associate Partner.

Our Bristol presence is also boosted by Chartered Building Surveyor, Stefan Gray. Stefan has 20 years’ experience in the locality and joins the building surveying team.

It’s hugely satisfying to have been able to assemble such a talented team in such a short period of time.

These tough, but improving, economic times mean that investment needs to be made wisely and this expansion is testament to the confidence we have in the South West region.

We have gone about setting up the Bristol office in the right way, by recruiting good local people who are committed to providing a leading service across the region.

Aaron Treliving
Partner, Building Consultancy
(0117) 338 1802
aaron.treliving@sw.co.uk

Sanderson Weatherall has officially been named as the most active agent in the North for 2012!

Our team has beaten all its rivals to be named the most active agent in the North, in the EGi Deals Competition 2012.

Our teams claimed top positions across the office, retail and industrial markets, together with impressive performances in the leisure and hotel, and investment categories – leading us to take the overall title.

This is a massive achievement and one that is testament to the hard work and dedication of our professional teams whose knowledge of the local market in these areas is second to none.

We are immensely proud of our roots in the North. Our successes here helps us to build our wider growth and development plans across the UK, as we continue to extend our market offering and office network.

Bob Fletcher
Partner, Agency
(0191) 269 0103
bob.fletcher@sw.co.uk