Marlborough News April 2014 TO LET - ON A GR AND SCALE Smiths Gore will be offering to market one of the biggest open market farm lettings seen in the South of England in the last decade. The farms on the West Dean Estate are located in the heart of the South Downs National Park and will be available on a 15 year Farm Business Tenancy from 1 October 2014. They form part of the 6,400 acre West Dean Estate which is managed by Smiths Gore on behalf of the Edward James Foundation and stretches from the South Downs escarpment to the edge of Trundle Hill overlooking the English Channel. Philip Kirk of Smiths Gore, Managing Agent for The Edward James Foundation, comments: “This is an incredibly exciting opportunity and represents one of the biggest open market lettings in the South of England
in over a decade. We are offering a rare opportunity to acquire a Farm Business Tenancy over a large acreage in the heart of the South Downs and we’re anticipating considerable levels of interest.”
and the tender deadline is midday on 30 May 2014. Expressions of interest should be directed to Philip Kirk at Smiths Gore’s Petworth office on 01798 345980 or e-mail philip.kirk@smithsgore.co.uk
Viewing days will be held on 2 and 6 May
Smiths Gore ABS – Winning Recognition Smiths Gore’s team of Architects and Building Surveyors (ABS) in Truro have been awarded Cornwall Building Control Awards 2014, “Best Urban Site” for the residential development at Smithick Hill Falmouth, comprising two blocks of fourteen flats within a very constrained site in the town centre. This was designed for a private developer and all flats were sold successfully prior to completion of the project. The Caerlaverock Tea Room and Shop at Glencaple, designed by the Smiths Gore ABS team in Dumfries, has been shortlisted for a RIAS award. This striking piece of contemporary architecture stands on the quay at Glencaple on the banks of the River Nith. The design, commissioned by Caerlaverock Estates , captures the maritime influence of the area. The building is also unusual in that it has been designed so that the lower level can flood below floor level, when the tides are running particularly high.
CITY v CAPITAL BOOM Prices in Manchester are rising at the fastest rate in the UK, beating even the London figures, according to the Nationwide house price index. The index showed prices in Manchester rose by 18%, compared with 17% for London, in the first quarter of 2014.
DEMAND AND LACK OF SUPPLY The lack of homes for sale was a "major concern" and there was a "desperate need" for more, the Royal Institution for Chartered Surveyors (RICS) said. The RICS report said that house prices "continue along their upward trajectory" as the economy recovers, with the survey recording an 11th month of house price rises. Many more surveyors expect prices to rise in the next three months and the next year, compared with the number of surveyors predicting price falls.
enough houses coming on to the market," said Simon Rubinsohn, chief economist at RICS. "For the market to operate effectively, we desperately need more homes in areas where people want to buy and want to live. "Until this happens, we are likely to see prices continue to increase and it is going to be ever harder for many first-time buyers to conceive of ever owning their own home."
The survey suggested that prices would rise by 6% a year, on average, over the next five years. "It is a major concern that we are not seeing
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Mortgage approvals down, business lending slows Mortgage approvals slowed in February and business lending contracted, a consequence of the severe rain and flooding which swept the country, according to analysts. Approvals numbered 70,309, the lowest figure since October 2013, whilst lending dropped by £750m compared to January 2014.