Christchurch in New Road – now up for sale

Christchurch, recently registered by Marlborough Town Council as a ‘Community Asset’ has been put on the market through the Strakers estate agency with an asking price of £450,000.

Described in the descriptions as ‘commercial for sale’ the wording does use the word ‘Accommodation’, although it is not residential.

What does an ‘Asset of Community Value’ actually mean? In England it is land or property of importance to a local community which is subject to additional protection from development under the Localism Act 2011. Does that mean it can’t be developed or subject to change of use?

Not really, as the Town Council website explained, when the building was registered nearly six weeks ago in June, there was a deadline set of 27 July – tomorrow – for any group or bidder to register interest with Wiltshire Council, which would then create a six month moratorium meaning no sale can take place before 15 December, providing time for the interested parties to raise funding and put together their bid.

The Town council website further explains that: ‘Requests to be treated as a potential bidder should be sent to simon.day@wiltshire.gov.uk before 27 July. If no such request is received then the owner of the asset is free to dispose of the asset at the end of the six weeks and without any further moratoria until 15 December 2023.’ For more information click here to view the Town Council web page.

In the sales documentation it is described as a ‘landmark community building in the heart of the town’. It comprises more than just the worship area itself. It includes The Wesley Hall (accessed from Oxford St), with ancillary rooms and kitchen facilities as well.

It is being sold as freehold. However, it is being sold subject to an ‘overage provision’, which means that if the buyer increases the value of the property by successfully gaining change of use, planning permission, say, to develop it into one or more residential properties, the buyer would have to pay extra back to the vendor on top of the original purchase price. It’s a bit like, in a professional football transfer situation, where if a player gets sold from club ‘A’ to ‘B’, and then Club ‘B’ sells the player on to Club ‘C’ for a lot more money, then some of that will go back to the original selling club – ‘A’. Not that a ‘sell on’ clause in a football transfer is quite comparable to the commercial sale of a church, but that the ‘sell on’ or ‘overage’ clauses work in a similar way.

But unlikely that Liverpool, Man U or Real Madrid will come knocking on Strakers’ door for Christchurch, but someone will.

Maybe it will be sold to an organisation, company or individual who wishes to retain it’s status as a community asset, in the truest sense, as Christchurch and The Wesley Hall have been used for many community groups, on a regular basis and many of those groups would like that to continue as good accessible space in central Marlborough, such as these two areas are in short supply.