Land for sale

A rare opportunity to acquire a productive diversified estate with extensive acreage amounting to1356 acres located within the M25. Whelan Estate lies to the west of Biggin Hill, within easy reach of London and the whole of the south.

Situation
The Whelan Estate is well positioned within the M25 next to the town of Biggin Hill, close to the Surrey Hills and Kent Downs National Landscapes. The village of Tatsfield also borders the Estate to the south. The Estate is 7.1 miles from Orpington, 8.0 miles from Bromley and 10 miles from Sevenoaks. All of these offer local amenities including shops, schools, restaurants, public and private airports, and mainline stations.

Description
The Whelan Estate is a productive diversified estate, extending to approximately 1,356 acres (549 hectares), with three farm yards and let residential and commercial properties.
The Estate has been in the family for two generations and has been operated as a mixed farming enterprise throughout. In recent years the farming enterprise has move to a more regenerative approach and has implemented new stewardship schemes in order to aid the reintroduction of livestock onto the arable areas.
The Estate has always looked to diversification in order to secure diverse revenue streams. The Estate benefits from a let portfolio of commercial and residential properties, deriving a strong annual income.

Land
The arable and grassland is currently farmed in-hand utilising a contract farming agreement. This agreement expires in September 2025. The contractor has indicated they would be interested in continuing to provide contracting services if required by the incoming purchaser.

Arable
The arable land at Whelan Estate extends to approximately 700 acres (283 hectares) and is predominantly Grade 3 under the MAFF Provisional Agricultural Land Classification. The soils divided between shallow lime rich loams and slightly acidic loams, which are well suited to combinable crop rotations.
The land has been farmed under a regenerative system over recent years. The farming enterprise has implemented grass leys and cover crops to integrate livestock back into the arable rotation.
A copy of crop rotation and soil indices is available upon request.

Grassland
The grassland at Whelan Estate extends to approximately 487 acres (197 hectares) and is predominantly Grade 3 with some Grade 4 under the MAFF Provisional Agricultural Land Classification. The land is currently farmed in-hand but managed under the contract farming agreement. Grassland is grazed by farmers on annual grazing licences. In 2023, 10,000 metres of new fencing was erected and an additional 10,000 metres will be completed in 2024.
This new fencing provides graziers with the ability to rotate grazing across the Estate with well sized fields, all with mains water connection.
The majority of the grassland is under a mid-tier and higher tier stewardship, with options such as GS2, GS6 and GS13.

Woodland
The estate comprises several blocks of mixed woodland, totalling 169 acres (68 hectares).
The woodland has significant sporting and amenity value. The woodland and estate trees have been surveyed and a copy of the tree inspection report is available upon request.

Farm Buildings
Lusted Hall Farm
The principal farm building is a concrete portal building with concrete floor under a pitched fibre cement roof. The building was previously in equestrian use with holding pens, 8 stables, equine shower and foaling area. The farm building is sub divided into a further two storage areas, two offices, utility room and two WCs.
The second farm building is part steel and part concrete portal frame with concrete flooring, under a pitched fibre cement sheet roof. The building is divided into three work shops and a general storage area. Surrounding the buildings is a concrete apron and to the rear are two former silage clamps.

Skid Hill Farm Yard
There is an extensive range of buildings at Skid Hill Farm, which is the main farming hub for the Estate. These buildings include a steel portal framed grain store, a stone-built office, four general purpose agricultural buildings, a flint construction commercial unit and two smaller storage buildings. The yard has two large areas of concrete hardstanding.

Norheads Grain Store
The main estate grain store is located adjacent to Norheads House, accessible via Glovers Close. The grain store is equipped with a central tunnel, drying floor and fan house that is connected to mains gas. The capacity of the store is 1,000 tonnes.The grain store has large potential for Class Q planning permission (STP). Recent planning work has been undertaken for its redevelopment to residential accommodation.
Further details are available upon request.

Residential
Skid Hill Farmhouse
Currently used as the principal farmhouse, Skid Hill Farmhouse is a 4 bedroom detached dwelling located off Skid Hill Lane, just outside Biggin Hill. The property is accessed by a porch into the entrance hallway. The living room has dual aspect views across the surrounding area and a log burner; there is a second reception room to the rear. To the front is the kitchen, which has space for a table and leads through to the utility space, then through to the downstairs WC and a third, smaller reception room which is ideal as a study or home office. On the first floor is the main bedroom being a large double room with built in wardrobes. There are three further double bedrooms and a family bathroom. The garden wraps around the house and provides views of the surrounding farmland and countryside.
Skid Hill Farmhouse is subject to an Agricultural Occupancy Condition (AOC).

No.1 and 2 Norheads Farms Cottages
A pair of 3 bedroom, semi-detached cottages situated at the end of Norheads Lane.
The properties benefit from off street parking to the front and garages. The properties comprise an entrance hallway, a living room to the front with fireplace, a kitchen which overlooks the rear, a utility room and downstairs WC and access out to the rear garden and garage. On the first floor is the bathroom, a good-sized double bedroom to the rear, another good-sized double with built in wardrobes to the front and a third bedroom being a small double/single also to the front.

Cedar Lodge
A detached bungalow with brick and weatherboarded elevations under a tile roof. The accommodation consists of an L-shaped sitting room with dining area, kitchen/breakfast room, master bedroom with en-suite bathroom and shower room, two further double bedrooms and family bathroom, and utility room. Outside there is a good sized garden with off street parking and a single garage.

Westholme
Westholme is of similar design and construction to Cedar Lodge. The accommodation consists of an L-shaped sitting room with dining area, kitchen/breakfast room, master bedroom with en-suite bathroom and shower room, two further double bedrooms and family bathroom, and utility room. Outside there is a good sized garden with off street parking and a single garage
Westholme is subject to an agricultural occupancy condition (AOC).

Commercial
Norheads House and Annexe
A large, detached Georgian farmhouse is currently used as offices by the current owners. Grade II listed brick-built with timber sash windows, a part brick, part flint wall to the front of the property. The property originally served as the principal farmhouse for the Estate. Vacant possession will be available upon completion. The building extends to 3,560 sqft.
There is a detached annexe located to the rear of the farmhouse which shares the gated car park. The annexe is of brick and flint construction. The property currently is let out on a 1954 Act lease. The annexe extends to 2065 sqft.

Lusted Hall Farm Units
Lusted Hall Yard is accessed via locked electric sliding gates. There is a large concrete farmyard to the front of the main buildings. The main farm building was recently let, together with Westholme, under a Farm Business Tenancy. There are 5 commercial units located at the yard, all let on a Landlord and Tenant 1954 Act lease, which are all contracted out of the security provisions of the Act.

Allotments The Estate has let approximately 2.79 acres of land to the local parish councils for the sole purpose of allotments. The land is located to the south of Tatsfield village and has direct access via Approach Road. The land is let under a 1954 Act tenancy, which commenced in 2011 for a term of 25 years. This parcel of land is available as a whole as Lot 4. Please contact the agent for further details.

Natural Capital
Whelan Estate provides one of the foremost opportunities in the South of England for Natural Capital. Its locality to London and the growing demand for carbon offsetting, Biodiversity Net Gain and Environmental, Social and Governance, means the Estate is very well located to meet this growing demand. The creation of Biodiversity Net Gain units to offset development within the south of London is a growing opportunity. The estate benefits from a current and up to date baseline report which indicates the potential to create approximately 2,500 units.
The location of the Estate and the units created are significant strategically and have the ability to market to demand arising not only in the London Boroughs but also the whole of the North Downs National Character Area. Further information on Biodiversity Net Gain and a copy of the report are available upon request. There may be further potential on the Estate to provide wider Natural Capital opportunities. The locality to London and major transport networks provide great opportunities for environmental, social and Governance unit creation and carbon sequestration.

Renewable Energy Scheme
Proposals are well advanced for a large solar energy scheme over part of the farm. Terms have been agreed with a suitable operator who has secured provisional approval of connection rights with UK Power Networks. Please contact agents for further details.

Countryside Stewardship
The Estate is entered into Countryside Stewardship, under Mid Tier and Higher Tier agreements. The annual payment for these
agreements is circa £56,000. The Mid Tier agreement expires on 31 December 2026.
The Higher Tier agreement expires on 31 December 2027. The purchaser will be obliged to take on these agreements with the agreements being transferred from the vendor to the purchaser upon completion. The agreement will be transferred in whole or part depending on the lotting. All payments for the 2024 scheme
year will be retained by the vendor.
Full details of the agreement are available on request from the selling agent.

Planning and Development
The Government is currently consulting on proposed changes to planning policy which are aimed at boosting housing supply. One area of focus is expanding the remit of development that is acceptable within the Green Belt designation. It is proposed to include areas of previously developed or undeveloped land within the Green Belt, that serve no significant role in preserving the wider character of the area and are intimately tied to existing services within the classification of land that can be developed - so termed “Grey Belt”. Some parts of the of the land presented for sale might be considered ‘Grey Belt’ due to the location outside of the Surrey Hills & Kent Downs National Landscapes which lie in close proximity to the South, and to the settlements of Biggin Hill & Tatsfield. In addition, the two Local Planning Authorities under which the landholdings fall (Tandridge District Council and London Borough of Bromley) are currently in housing land supply deficit with the prosect of housing requirement increasing significantly across both authorities should proposed changes to the national method of calculation be pursued.
The consultation on the proposed national policy changes concludes at the end of September 2024 and it has been indicated that those policy changes agreed will be adopted by the end of 2024. In the event that the proposed policy changes are adopted as outlined above, the land included for sale herewith may present additional development potential beyond its current position.

Designations
The estate site is within the Metropolitan Green Belt. At the northern end of the Estate part of the land extending to approximately 30.78 acres, is registered as an SSSI. The Salt Box Hill SSSI is split into two areas. Further details can be obtained from the selling agent.

Registered Title
The property is registered under Land Registry Title Plan Nos K106988, SGL163059, SGL195748, SGL257105, SGL257106, SGL277948, SGL528347, SGL533281, SGL533282, SGL578765, SGL647373, SY240011, SY452061, SY472540, SY517698, SY790078, SY843064.

Sporting Rights
The sporting rights are to be included within the sale insofar as they are owned. The sporting rights are currently let under an annual licence that expires in February 2025.

Timber and Mineral Rights
Rights to timber and minerals are to be included in the sale insofar as they are owned.

Overages
The sale of the Estate will not be subject to an overage.

Boundaries
The purchaser must satisfy themselves on the location of all boundaries from their own inspection and from the Land Registry plans available from the vendor’s agent.

Access
The estate has direct access from Beddlestead Lane, Skid Hill Lane, Oaklands Lane, Lusted Hall Lane and Norheads Lane.

Method of Sale
The property is to be sold via private treaty.

Ingoing
The land is currently farmed in-hand under a contract farming agreement. This agreement expires on 30 September 2025. The purchaser will pay an ingoing valuation in addition to the purchase price.

Tenure
Please contact the agent for more details on the tenure of this property.

Local Authority
Whelan Estate is split across the London Borough of Bromley and Tandridge District Council

Easements, Wayleaves and Rights of Way
The property will be sold subject to, and with the benefit of, all existing wayleaves, easements, covenants and rights of way (whether or not disclosed). There are a number of rights of way crossing the land. A full plan of these is available from the selling agents on request.

Lotting
We are instructed to offer the farm for sale as a whole or in lots. The lots are as shown on the sales plan:

Lot 1 (Land Shaded Blue)
Consists of approximately 538.82 acres including; Skid Hill Farmhouse and Skid Hill farmyard.
208.91ac arable, 238.45 ac pasture, 85.17 ac woodland, 6.29 ac yard and buildings.
Guide Price - £6.5 million

Lot 2 (Land Shaded Green)
Consists of approximately 594 acres including Norheads House, Norheads Flint Barn, Norheads Grain Store and Nos 1 and 2 Norheads Farm Cottages. 346.99ac arable, 174.96ac pasture, 61.89ac woodland, 9.79ac grain store/misc.
Guide Price - £8.25 million

Lot 3 (Land Shaded Red)
Consists of approximately 246.13 acres including Lusted Hall Farm buildings, various commercial
units and Westholme Cottage. 144.37 ac arable, 73.9 ac pasture, 21.5 ac woodland, 6.36 ac buildings and misc
Guide Price - £3.5 million

Lot 4 (Land Shaded Yellow)
Consists of approximately 2.79 acres of allotments currently let on a 1954 Act lease.
Guide Price - £50,000

Lot 5 (Land Shaded Purple)
Consists of Cedar Lodge Cottage, let on an Assured Shorthold Tenancy.
Guide Price - £600,000

Please contact Toby Trotman in the Tunbridge Wells office