Cononley Ice Cream Site Sold – March  2006

Acting on behalf of the owners of the famous Yorkshire Dales Ice Cream brand Westlake & Co. have sold the former Aireside Mills site – with the benefit of Planning Consent for 34 new houses – to Antler Homes Limited.

The 2.5 acre site was the subject of a Planning Appeal prior to obtaining Consent and generated significant interest based on an asking price of £2,750,000.

Antler Homes are currently developing the site (Riverdale Ings) with three and four bedroom family homes for occupation from Summer 2007.

ALL CHANGE IN BOROUGHBRIDGE – September 2006

Acting on behalf of the private owners of 12 years, specialist licensed property agents Westlake & Co. of Skipton have sold The Musketeer, Horsfair, Boroughbridge to the Tadcaster Pub Co. in a confidential (‘off-market’) deal.

‘The Musketeer fits well with our local estate of traditionally styled public houses and we are pleased with the acquisition’ said James Crawfurd-Porter for the purchasers.  The Tadcaster Pub Co. is a privately owned multiple site operator established in 1992 and operating a number of sites throughout the region.

Just six months ago Westlake & Co. were involved in the sale of The Grantham Arms, Boroughbridge – just 500m away – a sale again handled on a wholly confidential basis and without marketing.  With five letting rooms and dining facilities in addition to traditional bars the business was once more sold on behalf of private clients for the first time in 12 years, with Punch Taverns the successful buyers.

Alastair McDowell of Westlake & Co. commented ‘the sale of these two businesses without the necessity for any direct marketing confirms a continued demand for good quality licensed premises.  Boroughbridge is perceived as a quality location with a strong trading potential and with both sites sold amidst good competition from a number of corporate operators’.

Greenroyd Mill - Feb 2007
New lease of life for landmark property

Having acted for the owners of Greenroyd Mill, Sutton in Craven for over ten years – and during which time the 100,000 sq. ft. mill achieved 99% occupancy – Westlake & Co. assisted the property owners throughout a three year long process in achieving a disposal to Beck Developments in Spring 2007.

Working closely with local architects, Bowman Riley Architects, and with the Planning Department at Craven District Council together with English Heritage etc. planning consent was obtained for conversion of the mill to 46 units together with 30 new build properties on the site.

 The company assisted throughout this process including negotiation of the terms of a Section 106 Agreement with the planning office to the maximum benefit of the overall scheme. This included negotiations with the adjoining school and who are granted an enlarged site and new playground as a result of the development.

Shortly after a programme of relocation for the mill occupiers was completed planning consent was granted, and a sale agreed on behalf of the vendors within only days of legal completion of the planning process.

Simon Prest of Beck Developments said “We have worked hard to get this project off the ground and without the help of the mill owners’ agents, Westlake & Co., we would not have been able to make this amount of progress”. The purchasers are currently developing the site with the first units available in Spring 2008.

THE LISTERS ARMS, MALHAM – SOLD TO DANIEL THWAITES PLC.   (May 2006)

Acting on behalf of the owners of over fifteen years, Westlake & Co. have sold the well known Listers Arms public house to Lancashire Brewers Daniel Thwaites Plc. in an ‘off the market’ deal.

This sale demonstrates a continued demand for businesses of this type, with substantial interest for the business having been generated without any direct marketing undertaken and the minimum of disruption to trade.

Daniel Thwaites propose no major alterations at the property – their Marketing Manager Richard Ball saying “We want to reassure people that there will be no drastic changes at the Listers Arms, just an ongoing effort to please regulars with fine ales and a great community atmosphere.  The Listers Arms is a hugely popular pub in the Yorkshire Dales and we are excited to be associated with it”.

Named after the first Lord Ribblesdale, Thomas Lister, the pub is a fine example of a quintessential English country free house, situated in the centre of this Yorks. Dales National Park village.

Acre Mill

Work starts to demolish mill
By Mel Fairhurst

DEMOLITION work has started to make way for a long-awaited village hall and 31 homes in Cowling.
Workers are demolishing the village's Acre Mill to make way for the development, which is being undertaken by Cross Hills-based Skipton Properties.

The new, purpose-built hall will provide a much-needed facility to accommodate different groups.
It will include a 10 metre by 18 metre multi-purpose hall, stage area, foyer, two meeting rooms, library, kitchen, stores and toilets.

There will be access for the disabled and the hall will be allocated seven car parking spaces.
The 31 homes will include three and four-bedroom, three-storey town houses and three-bedroom mews cottages. Prices will start at £150,000.

Brian Verity, managing director of Skipton Properties, which will also develop the existing village hall on Park Road, said it was an "exciting development" and it would provide a much better facility for residents.
Speaking this week, Cowling Parish Council chairman John Alderson said: "It is brilliant that the work has started - we were told it would start in November last year and it has done.

"The workers are well on with it, Acre Mill will probably be demolished by the end of the month. It is really looking positive. No matter what anybody says, this is an investment in the future of Cowling - the development is of greater value than the old village hall, which was about to close."
Mr Verity has signed an agreement to ensure the village hall is built within two years of the first house being occupied.

When Craven District Council planners agreed the development in October 2004, Coun Robert Heseltine said the development was "a once-in-a-lifetime chance to provide a state-of-the-art facility to service Cowling through the 21st century into the 22nd century".

In nearby Sutton, the village's run-down Greenroyd Mill is about to be developed by Beck Homes.

It has permission to build 76 homes - 46 in the mill and 30 new builds - and a number will be offered as affordable housing.

The Redwell Inn, Arkholme, Near Carnforth, Lancs.

Instructed by the private owners, The Redwell Inn was ‘placed’ with a major pub company in Spring 2006, in a very successful deal and without any marketing being undertaken.

Alastair McDowell commented ‘the sale of the property in this way demonstrates the continued strong demand from serious and well funded buyers to acquire high quality sites – the key to success being to put potential purchasers in a competitive situation and to ensure the best outcome for the vendor’

Ghyll Way.  10,000sq.ft. to go

When a long established Skipton-based distribution company sold their trading operation, Westlake & Co. were able to successfully dispose of their premises.

Without undertaking any direct marketing interest was quickly generated from a number of prospective buyers, a sale by way of ‘best and final’ bids culminating in an excellent result and which importantly met the vendor’s timescale perfectly.

Local knowledge is essential in these cases.  It is often the case that we are able to match vendors and buyers aspirations – not all properties are actively marketed and if you have a requirement then please let us know.

M&S Returns to its Roots:

The worst kept secret in Skipton is at long last a reality – and Marks and Spencer will begin trading from their new premises in the town centre before Christmas.

After 2½ years of discussions the deal is now done and which will see the company occupy the new 11,800 sq. ft. at Thanet’s Yard – developed by Norman Simpson of Pennine Motors to include three offices, one apartment and seven maisonettes on the upper floors.

Westlake & Co acted on behalf of the property owner and Michael Westlake said ‘after 2½ years it’s good to be able to say that this is a done deal – M&S returning to Skipton could only be good for the town.  There is no doubt that this would have made Tom Spencer, the original co-founder and born in Skipton in 1851 an extremely proud man’.