General
A rare opportunity to purchase a substantial block of sound grassland with excellent road frontage and serviced by a substantial five bay general purpose agricultural building together with a former farm shop/joiners shop occupying a prominent location on the busy A682 Manchester Road.

Location
The land is situated at the intersection of Manchester Road and Crown Point Road in open countryside on the southern outskirts of Burnley. From Junction 10 of the M65 motorway take the A679 west to the traffic lights and turn left on to the A646 up the hill to the next set of traffic lights at the crossroads. Turn right on to the A682 Manchester Road and carry on up the hill and you will find the land on your left hand side immediately after the built up area. The former farm shop and agricultural building are approximately 750 metres on the left hand side. A sale board has been erected at the entrance to the farm shop.

Description
Rising from 250 metres to 345 metres above sea level the land is all down to grass and is bounded externally by traditional dry stone walls, although the majority of the internal boundaries comprise post, netting and barbed wire fencing. The land is well watered by a combination of mains and natural supplies, the majority of the land is classified as Severely Disadvantaged, with one field at the top being registered as Moorland.

Agricultural Building
A steel portal framed building with its own separate access via concrete road, the building has internal measurements of 105ft x 40ft (32m x 13.72m) and is clad in double skin brick walls under fibre cement side sheets and roofing with good sized access doors on the southern gable and eastern elevation. The building benefits from mains supplies of electricity and water and has strip lighting throughout. The building is currently used for the housing of ponies. There are two block built stables at one end, otherwise the interior is undivided.

Former Farm Shop
Constructed with a variety of materials and stone faced on the northern gable, the former farm shop and associated outbuildings provide substantial accommodation as follows:

Main Barn Area: 363 sq metres (3905 sq ft)

Former Shop Section: 76.5 sq metres (823 sq ft)

Rear Lean-To: 56 sq metres (604 sq ft)

Front Lean-To: 19 sq metres (202 sq ft)

We understand from our clients that the building was originally utilised as a joiners shop and subsequently a farm shop. The building has been unused for a considerable period of time and has suffered from some disrepair with part of the profile sheet roof now missing.
The building has potential for a variety of uses subject to the grant of planning permission and occupies an elevated position set back from Manchester Road which benefits from a significant amount of passing trade.

Single Payment Scheme
All of the land has been registered with the Rural Payments Agency under the Single Payment Scheme. The land is offered for sale with the benefit of SPS Entitlements which, in the 2006 scheme year gave rise to the following payments:

SDA Land £191.95/ha (£77.74/acre)
Moorland £36.97/ha (£14.97/acre)

The 2007 scheme year payment will be retained by the vendor but the Entitlements will be transferred to the purchaser(s) in advance of the 2008 scheme year. As the land is above the Severely Disadvantaged line, prospective purchasers with qualifying livestock would also be entitled to claim Hill Farm Allowance which had 2007 payment rates of £35.20/ha for SD land and £13.32/ha for Moorland.
 

Lotting
The land has been split up into lots for convenience of sale. However, offers are invited for the whole or any part of the land and prospective purchasers who are wishing to bid on part only of a lot should contact the Agents in advance of the closing date to discuss how best to present their offer. A summary of the lots is included below:
Lot 1: Approximately 13.83 ha (34.17 acres) of land only, all within the Severely Disadvantaged area as shown hatched in red on the attached plan.
Lot 2: Approximately 30.10 ha (74.38 acres) of land together with the five bay agricultural building and including 7.51 ha (15.56 acres) of land classified as Moorland as shown hatched in green on the attached plan.
Lot 3: The former farm shop and attached barn together with pasture to the rear and additional 10 metre access strips to either side, comprising in all 0.75 ha (1.85 acres) as shown cross hatched blue on the plan attached.

Wayleaves/Easements/Rights of Way
The land is sold subject to all pre-existing rights in favour of third parties. There is an overhead electricity line running across majority of Lot 3 and we assume this is secured by virtue of an annual wayleave. The owners of Higher Gibfield Farm have a right of way for all purposes through Lot 3 and the purchasers of Lot 1 & 2 will also be given a right of access through Lot 3 along the existing track and over the bridge into their respective parcels.

Services
We understand that there are mains supplies of electricity and water connected to the building within Lot 2 which run through Lot 3. We are not aware whether the former farm shop is still connected up to water and electricity. In the event that Lot 2 is sold separately, the purchasers will be responsible for separating out the water and electricity supplies.

Tenure
The land is for sale freehold and vacant possession will be given on completion which shall be no sooner than 1 August 2007.

Offers
All offers must be received in writing at the offices of the Agents no later than 12 noon on Thursday 31 May 2007. An offer form is attached to these particulars and any queries should be made to Adam Winthrop on 01756 692900.

Viewing
The land and buildings may be viewed at all reasonable times on receipt of these sales particulars.

Guide Prices
Offers are invited in excess of the following sums:

Lot 1: £120,000
Lot 2: £180,000
Lot 3: £100,000