Forum topic: The "last hope" for Broomfield House

Broomfield House and Stableyard are being advertised for sale.  The marketing brief states that "The long leasehold interest is being marketed for sale on a private treaty basis, following open competition. Unconditional and conditional offers are invited for both parcels of land together, for the reconstruction and restoration of the House and the restoration of the Stable Block."

Below, Colin Younger, chair of the Broomfield House Trust, comments on what he calls "the last hope for Broomfield House".

As some have already seen, Broomfield House and stableyard are being advertised in the Estates Gazette, which identifies itself as “The number one title in commercial property, providing market intelligence, comment and interviews every week”.  They are also being directly marketed by GVA, which claims to be “Britain’s leading and most diverse real estate advisory-led business”.

The ad lists Broomfield House and stableyard as a restoration and development opportunity. This breaks down into a reconstruction and restoration opportunity for the Grade II* Broomfield House and a conversion and redevelopment opportunity for the stables (subject to planning permission).  It invites conditional and unconditional offers and a long leasehold interest.

There are many supporting documents available to interested parties, setting out the background to, and constraints on, this marketing approach.  The constraints include vehicle access being by a Grade II* listed arched gateway. The Council believe that they have a solution to the issue of the covenants limiting developments in the park.

We have reached this position after six years of intensive lobbying and working closely with Enfield Council and Historic England to find ways of funding the restoration and rebuilding of Broomfield House.  None of this has been successful, and this is the final throw of the dice.

In direct line with the Broomfield House Trust’s registered charitable objectives, the Trust (supported by the Friends of Broomfield Park) has continued throughout to press for the community interest and community access.  Understandably, the Council has wider issues to take in to account and the marketing brief includes community access as a desirable, not essential objective.  If bids fail to meet our registered objectives, the Trust at least will have to consider its position. The Board next meets on 15 November but we would hope to have some indication of how things have gone before then.

This is the last hope for Broomfield House.