St Helens Council
LAND FOR SALE
BY TENDER
CLOSING DATE 12 NOON MONDAY 15 AUGUST 2016
LAWRENSON STREET
OFF ECCLESTON STREET
ST HELENS
WA10 2PL
MERSEYSIDE
Enquiries and further information
Contact: Margaret Cannon
Phone: 01744 676124
Email: margaretcannon@sthelens.gov.uk
1.
Introduction
St Helens Council invite sealed tenders to purchase the freehold interest in the land
at Lawrenson Street, off Eccleston Street, St Helens, Merseyside.
The extent of the land is shown edged in red on the above aerial view photograph.
2.
Tenure
The tenure will be the Freehold title MS277962 but will exclude the adopted highway
section fronting Eccleston Street.
The purchaser will take the land subject to all or any existing covenants, easements,
encumbrances and restrictions in the Council’s title.
3.
Description
The site is currently vacant and has an area of approximately 0.30 acres / 0.12
hectares of land.
The site is fairly level, rectangular in shape and laid to grass although it is partly
overgrown with foliage and bushes.
4.
Location
The surrounding area has a mix of commercial, industrial, leisure and residential
uses.
There is easy access to the town centre and there are local shopping areas nearby
at Boundary Road and Cambridge Road.
Lawrenson Street currently serves as the access to commercial workshops at the
end of the street.
5.
Planning
All prospective purchasers are advised to make enquiries regarding planning matters
to John Waddelow in the Planning Department on 01744 676169 before submitting a
tender.
Initial views are that the site is appropriate for a commercial development (B1 or B2).
Car parking and servicing would be taken from Lawrenson Street.
As an indication, on the basis of a unit of 600 square metres, ten car parking spaces
would be required.
Tenderers should provide sufficient information with regard to the proposed use of
the land and its proposed development.
Details should include a layout of the scheme showing car parking and landscaping
arrangements.
Tenderers should also indicate whether their proposals have been discussed with
the Council’s Planning Department.
6.
Services
All main services are understood to be available on Lawrenson Street and Eccleston
Street and copies of the Council’s investigations will be available for inspection upon
request. However, for the avoidance of doubt these plans are not to be relied upon
and prospective purchasers are strongly advised to make their own enquiries of the
various utility companies.
7.
Highways
Enquiries regarding highway requirements should be made to Development and
Transport Planning on 01744 676187.
8.
Drainage
Prospective purchasers should satisfy themselves as to the adequacy of the existing
drainage systems within the area prior to submitting any tender.
All enquiries regarding drainage matters should be made to United Utilities plc.
9.
Local and Mining Searches
Prospective purchasers should make their own enquiries.
10.
Fees
The successful purchaser will be required to pay the Council’s legal costs and
surveyor’s fees in this matter, in accordance with the following scale:
Legal costs at 2% of the sale price plus any disbursements.
There is a minimum fee of £300.
Surveyor's fees at 2% of the sale price.
There is a minimum fee of £600.
11.
Formal Contract
The Contract of sale must be exchanged within a period of 6 weeks of the draft
contract or conveyance being delivered to the Purchaser’s solicitors.
The successful purchaser will undertake to submit a planning application within four
weeks of exchange of contracts.
The Council will not remarket the property within a period of 2 months from the date
of acceptance of the tender, but after this period if exchange of contracts has not
been completed for any reason the Council will at its discretion re-offer the property
for sale. The Contracts for sale will also include an obligation on the purchaser to
commence the development within 3 months of receipt of planning permission and
the development shall be completed within a further 12 month period. For the
purpose of this clause time shall be deemed to be of the essence.
A copy of the Council’s standard development contract is available for inspection.
The contract will include a right of pre-emption and claw back provisions.
12.
VAT
No VAT will be payable.
Tendering Procedure
1.
Tenders will only be considered if made on the enclosed official tender form.
2.
The form of offer should be sealed in the envelope provided, which should not
contain any type or other mark indicating the identity of the sender and should be in
the hands of the Assistant Chief Executive (Legal and Administrative Services) Town
Hall, St. Helens by 12 noon on Monday 15 August 2016.
3.
Tenders should contain details of the proposed use.
4.
Tenderers should indicate whether their proposals have been discussed with the
Council’s Planning Department.
5.
The Council is not bound to accept the highest or any tender.
6.
The Council will not be responsible for any costs incurred by tenderers in producing
any documents, plans and drawings included in their tender.
7.
The Council will be advised of all tenders submitted and the decision of the Council
will be final.
The Freedom of Information Act 2000
St Helens Council is subject to the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act 2000. As
part of the Council’s duties under the Act, it may be required to disclose information forming
part of your offer/bid/tender or proposal to a third party upon reasonable request.
If you consider that any of the information provided in your offer/bid/tender or proposal is
commercially sensitive (meaning it could reasonably cause prejudice to your organisation if
disclosed to a third party) then it should be clearly marked on the tender form and you
should provide a statement of why that information should not be released.
The Statement should contain:
a.
Full reasons as to why disclosure is considered to be likely to prejudice the
commercial interest of the bidder and would therefore constitute an actionable
breach of confidence. Please note that the commercial interest exemption is
subject to a public interest test. That is, the Council (a public authority) can only
withhold commercially sensitive information where the public interest in
maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing information.
b.
Reasonable timescales during which that information should not be disclosed.
St Helens Council has developed a Freedom of Information Policy which outlines the main
obligations under the Act and the procedures to be followed when a request is received.
This policy can be found on the St Helens Council website. This document is designed to
provide specific guidance in respect of requests for procurement related information.
Misrepresentation Act 1967
These particulars do not constitute an offer or a contract, nor constitute any part of an offer
or contract. All statements contained in these particulars are made without responsibility on
the part of St Helens Council or its servants. None of the statements contained in these
particulars are to be relied upon as representations of fact. Prospective purchasers must
satisfy themselves by inspection or otherwise as to the correctness of each of the
statements contained in these particulars. The location plan in these particulars is to enable
prospective purchasers to locate the land only. The plans provided are for information
purposes only and should not be relied upon to depict the extent of interest to be sold. No
person in the employment of St. Helens Council has any authority to make or give any
representation or warranty in relation to this property.
ST HELENS COUNCIL
TENDER FORM
LAWRENSON STREET, OFF ECCLESTON STREET, ST HELENS
WA10 2PL, MERSEYSIDE
I wish to make the following tender in respect of the above-mentioned land, subject to
contract and planning consent (not on appeal):Amount
£
______________________________________
___________________________________(words)
Proposed Use
___________________________________
________________________________________________________

I confirm that I have read and understand the implications of the Freedom of
Information Act 2000
Name:
______________________________________________________________
Address:
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
email:
___________________________________________________________
Telephone No.
________________________________________________________
Mobile No.
________________________________________________________
Name and Address
of Solicitor:
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
Signed:
________________________________________________________
Dated:
________________________________________________________
===================================================================
Note: The completed form should be in the hands of the Assistant Chief Executive
(Legal and Administrative Services) no later than 12 Noon on Monday 15 August 2016
in the envelope provided which should not bear any mark or name indicating the
sender.