Friday 30 October 2015

Nocton Hall - stimulating interest

Potential development site

With Leda Properties rumoured to be on the verge of presenting outline plans for development of their long-term investment, I would now like to publish some of the work I have been doing in the background to get some progression on this asset.

1) Time Team Programme

From: Geoff Hall
Sent: 21 April 2012 17:31
To: Time Team
Subject: Nocton Park Priory & Nocton Hall

Good afternoon,

I would like to suggest a site visit by the Time team to the village and surrounds of Nocton in Lincolnshire.

Possible Objectives
  •  Determine the exact layout of Nocton Park Priory
  •  Confirm that the Priory was not actually converted/rebuilt into a Manor House on the same site
  •  Confirm that the stone from the Priory was robbed out and used to construct the Nocton Old Hall (in the heart of the village)
  •  Confirm the site of the remains of St Peter’s Church to the west of the current Grade II Listed Nocton Hall
Background History

One document is enclosed for perusal:
Location
  • Nocton Park Priory – OS Explorer 272 [South Sheet] GR078648 (1:25000) 
  • Nocton Hall – OS Explorer 272 [South Sheet] GR06156435 (1:25000) 
  • Aerial View – Nocton Hall 53.165594, -0.413564; Nocton Park Priory remains clearly shown on mound in corner of Nocton Fen Lane, Wasp’s Nest 53.169466, -0.389457
My interest
  • I have been interested in the history of Nocton since retiring to the village in 2005. I have made contact with many of the residents who have a similar mind set, some who have actively collected much information over the years. 
  • I have created a village blog which has archived much of the material relating to Nocton Hall, the village and the Estate for the benefit of others. 
  • The village is actively trying to save the remains of the Grade II Listed Nocton Hall from further deterioration
Ownership of Land
  • Nocton Park Priory – Nocton Dairies Ltd 
  • Nocton Hall – Leda Properties Ltd
Yours sincerely,
Geoff Hall

From: Time Team
Sent: Tuesday, April 24, 2012 12:33 PM
To: Geoff Hall
Subject: RE: Nocton Park Priory & Nocton Hall

Dear Geoff,

Many thanks for writing to us with a site suggestion.  We are currently working on the 2012 series of Time Team and are on the lookout for good sites. I will discuss your suggestion with the series director and if we’d like to pursue then we’ll be in touch later in the year.

If you haven’t heard from us by May I’m afraid it means the site hasn’t made the shortlist. I’m sure you’ll understand that we receive hundreds of suggestions each year, but all are considered!

We do appreciate you contacting us,

Regards,
Development Producer
Time Team

2) HILT Foundation

From: Geoff Hall
Sent: Monday, July 8, 2013 11:59 AM
To: HILT Foundation
Subject: Nocton Hall

Good morning,

It was good to meet you at the Air Show yesterday. Although it appears you are in the very early stages of talking to the owners of the RAF Hospital site in Nocton (Leda Properties), as a matter of courtesy I am providing a link to the Nocton in Lincolnshire blog. This contains quite a bit of background information about the development site if you scroll down to the bottom of the page and use one of the shortcuts to ‘Nocton Hall’ or ‘RAF Nocton Hall’.

If your organisation manages to make progress with any plans for a solar farm in Nocton, I would be happy to provide any updates to the community through this blog if you feel it worthwhile.

I wish you every success with your business.

Best regards,
Geoff

From: HILT Foundation
Sent: Monday, July 8, 2013 1:05 PM
To: Geoff Hall
Subject: Re: Nocton Hall

Geoff,

Many thanks for that, and would appreciate you staying on board providing info like this. Pleasure to have met you at the show.

Kindest regards
HILT Foundation

3) Gladman Developments

From: Geoff Hall
Sent: 08 December 2014 13:07
To: Gladman Developments
Subject: Potential site for development

Dear Sir/Madam,

I am a local resident of the village of Nocton in Lincolnshire and would like to bring to your attention a parcel of land that could be ripe for an exciting development.

Location of site

Nocton in the North Kesteven District of Lincolnshire - seven miles south-east of Lincoln (an up and coming University city).

Background

The land concerned is at the heart of our village and consists of a Grade II listed property (Nocton Hall – a partial ruin), associated woodland and grounds, together with a decommissioned RAF Hospital site (which could be an enabling-venture for the stabilisation/development of the old hall and pleasure grounds). The land is currently in the ownership of Leda Properties Ltd, Marcham Road, Abingdon, Oxon, OX14 1TZ. There was an initial plan (Planning Application: N/42/1268/02) which unfortunately never came to fruition, since then the site has been allowed to fall into disrepair.

North Kesteven District Council have commissioned an Options Appraisal in partnership with English Heritage, which concentrates on the constraints of redevelopment for the old hall. You may also like to see the Project Viability Report that supports the Options Appraisal - I believe Option 3 was the preferred solution.

The local Parish Council has recently published a resolution on the lack of progress with this site and you may like to conclude with reading my last village blog regarding the situation with this site.

Why you?

Your company appear to be action-oriented, not afraid of speculative acquisitions and are content to take calculated risks with development. You are also involved in developing a mix of property - office, industrial and residential. Your company also has an ethos of working in partnership (this being very important to our community too), and you are persistent with seeking resolution to your plans.

Finally, I do not require a response to this email - it is purely for information.

Yours faithfully,
GM Hall

From: Gladman Developments
Sent: 22 December 2014 16:42
To: Geoff Hall
Subject: Gladman Land Enquiry

Dear G M Hall,

Thank you for considering Gladman with regards to Nocton Hall, Lincolnshire. Gladman specialise in obtaining consent on sustainable sites of 7 acres and above, adjacent to existing settlements.

The redevelopment of a listed building therefore would not be something we would pursue but once again many thanks for providing us with the opportunity to assess the hall.

Kind Regards
Gladman Developments


4) Retirement Villages

From: Geoff Hall
Sent: 08 December 2014 19:13
To: Retirement Villages
Subject: Potential land for development

Dear Sir/Madam,

I am a local resident of the village of Nocton in Lincolnshire and would like to bring to your attention a parcel of land that could be ripe for an exciting retirement development.

Location of site

Nocton in the North Kesteven District of Lincolnshire - seven miles south-east of Lincoln (an up and coming University city).

Background

The land concerned is at the heart of our village and consists of a Grade II listed property (Nocton Hall – a partial ruin), associated woodland and grounds, together with a decommissioned RAF Hospital site (which could be an enabling-venture for the stabilisation/development of the old hall and pleasure grounds). The land is currently in the ownership of Leda Properties Ltd, Marcham Road, Abingdon, Oxon, OX14 1TZ. There was an initial plan (Planning Application: N/42/1268/02) which unfortunately never came to fruition, since then the site has been allowed to fall into disrepair.

North Kesteven District Council have commissioned an Options Appraisal in partnership with English Heritage, which concentrates on the constraints of redevelopment for the old hall. You may also like to see the Project Viability Report that supports the Options Appraisal - I believe Option 3 was the preferred solution.

The local Parish Council has recently published a resolution on the lack of progress with this site and you may like to conclude with reading my last village blog regarding the situation with this site.

Why you?

The fact that your company has been shortlisted for a national property award demonstrates the value placed on the design of your developments.  There are clearly a number of heritage properties that have been sensitively developed too.  Your developments maximise the beautiful surroundings in which they are based. Your company is one of the longest established operator of care villages in the UK and therefore should be well placed to see the long-term value of this village site.
Finally, I do not require a response to this email - it is purely for information.

Yours faithfully,
GM Hall

5) Jackson & Jackson Developments

From: Geoff Hall
Sent: 05 August 2015 09:08
To: Globe Limited
Subject: Potential Development Site - Nocton

Dear Sir/Madam,

I see you are acting for Cameron and Dominik Jackson [Jackson and Jackson Developments Ltd] regarding ‘The Parklands’ at Sudbrooke.  I have seen the article in the Lincolnite and it seems a very innovative development.

I would like to bring Cameron and Dominik’s attention to an undeveloped brownfield site that is at the heart of our village in Nocton.  If they are seeking further potential development sites around the Lincoln area, it could make an exciting project for those with a vision to make it succeed.

Site Details

This contains a ruin of a Grade II Listed property (Nocton Hall) and a decommissioned RAF Hospital consisting of many tumbledown prefabricated buildings. A property investment company (Leda Properties) originally paid in excess of £300K for RAF Nocton Hospital (as reported in the Lincolnshire Echo on 8th January 2000).  Leda Properties originally submitted plans to North Kesteven District Council back in 2002 (1267/02 and 1268/02), but these were refused.  I believe the over-riding concern at the time was the number of properties projected for the site, in what was then a 3rd tier village.

Since then, despite the efforts of North Kesteven District Council to seek a satisfactory resolution with Leda Properties, the site has continued to deteriorate and remains undeveloped.  The local Parish Council is also frustrated by the lack of progress with this site.  The last action of any merit was the preparation of an Options Appraisal to guide any development work.

Options Appraisal

The costs of a full renovation of Nocton Hall would probably be too prohibitive, as any developer would be unlikely to cover the costs by the sale of the renovation, even if it were to be converted into luxury apartments, a hotel facility or something similar.  It would require an extensive ‘enabling development’ on the RAF Hospital site.

Option Appraisal costings – solely for Nocton Hall [October 2011]

1. Total demolition - £0.327m
2. Historic ruin - £0.932m
3. Partial demolition - £1.947m
4. Repair as ruin and develop Service Wing - £2.355m
5. Full restoration - £7.845m

Although Nocton Hall is now a shadow of its former self, there are parts of the building that would be easier to renovate e.g. the service wing.  That is probably why NKDC selected their preferred option of stabilising Nocton Hall as a ruin and developing the service wing (circa £2.355 million)… and reducing the number of properties within the ‘enabling development’.

N.B. any proposals would need to reflect the historic setting and grounds – some of the demolition options would not be acceptable to English Heritage.  There is also  a rumoured MOD claw-back of 50% on any developer profits made (which expires in approximately 2022) – this may explain why no agreement has ever been reached between Leda and NKDC, as there could be a tension over the number of properties to be incorporated in any ‘enabling development’.

As you can see there are many unknowns with this site and it would require careful research, but I truly believe there is an exciting possibility awaiting the right developer, if the potential hurdles could be overcome.  I suppose it will always come down to money and whether the potential profits make taking the risks involved worthwhile, which will dependent on:
  • How many properties are permitted to be constructed on the RAF Hospital site by the planning authority as an ‘enabling development’, and
  • How much (or how little) profit will be acceptable to the developers and owners of the site.
Finally, I am not aware that Leda Properties actually develop their sites themselves, as a property investment company I think they tend to work in partnership with other developers to share the profit outcomes. I would like to think that a sympathetic developer might sometime approach Leda to purchase the land, after approaching NKDC to see what the limitations would be for the site.

Thank you for taking the time to read this email – there is no need to reply – it is purely for information.

Yours sincerely,
Geoff Hall
Nocton in Lincolnshire

N.B. Along with the links provided, a great deal of background information about Nocton Hall can be obtained through the ‘Search’ facility or ‘Index’ on my local blog.
http://nocton.blogspot.co.uk/2014/02/nocton-hall.html
http://www.nocton.blogspot.co.uk/2014/10/compulsory-purchase-order.html
http://www.sleafordstandard.co.uk/news/local/delays-to-repair-of-nocton-hall-are-intolerable-1-6322865
http://www.lincolnshireecho.co.uk/Nocton-Hall-10-endangered-buildings/story-11199073-detail/story.html
http://www.ledaproperties-abingdon.co.uk/

Meet the brothers behind a multi-million pound company championing change in Lincoln

http://www.lincolnshireecho.co.uk/Meet-brothers-multi-million-pound-company/story-28127151-detail/story.html

6) Landmark Trust

From: Geoff Hall
Sent: 27 October 2015 08:39
To: Landmark Trust
Subject: Nocton Hall

Good morning,

I have been enjoying your recent television programme about the activities of the Landmark Trust and would like to bring to your attention a Grade II Listed building at the heart of our village which has an interested history.

The local Parish Council and North Kesteven District Council have worked hard over the years to find a solution to halt the decline of this once cherished building and an Options Appraisal was produced in partnership with English Heritage.

It appears at long last that the owners are due to present outline plans for an enabling development that will be built in the grounds of the Hall, which includes an old RAF Hospital site. The stabilisation and renovation of Nocton Hall, as outlined in the Options Appraisal will be conditional.

I am highlighting this property to you at this early stage, as there could be an opportunity for you to assist in saving part of the Hall. This of course would have to be in partnership with the various bodies... and that perhaps you could get some return from some of the refurbished Hall being rented out as holiday accommodation in a historical village setting.

Regards,
Geoff
http://www.nocton.blogspot.co.uk/

From: Landmark Trust
Sent: 28 October 2015 10:47
To: Geoff Hall
Subject: Nocton Hall

Dear Geoff

Thanks for getting in touch about Nocton Hall. It’s good to see proactive plans are being drawn up to save the house, but I think it’s not one for Landmark. We very rarely share mixed use sites (and usually have just one unit of Landmark accommodation per site). In addition, once a commercial developer is involved, sites rarely ‘need’ Landmark’s help. We get well over 100 approaches about potential buildings a year, or which we can only take on 2-3, so we have to reserve our efforts for those buildings that really won’t survive without us.

Sorry we can’t help,

Best wishes
Landmark Trust

My conclusion


I think the lack of development to date demonstrates the potential difficulties with this site and particularly whether the whole matter can prove profitable for those likely to be involved.

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