SITUATION
The Caravan Park is called Somerset View Caravan Park and it is situated about ½ mile south of North Petherton and 2 miles south of Bridgewater. The caravan park has excellent access to the M5 being close to Junctions 24 & 25.
LOCATION
The caravan park is well signposted off exit 24 of the M5 and off the A38, (in both directions) Taunton Road just south of North Petherton. The site entrance is off a lay-by adjacent to North Petherton Rugby Club.
On the opposite side of the road are carp fishing pools. The caravan park is bordered by open countryside to the east and south. The small town of North Petherton has four public houses, takeaway food shops, a Church, a Pharmacy, Post Office and Off-Licence. The village of North Newton has a Beer Festival in July and there are many forms of recreational activities including: golf, water sports, swimming baths and leisure centres, tennis courts and the nearest Towns are Bridgewater and Taunton. Cheddar Gorge, the Wookey holes and Glastonbury are close by. The Somerset Steam Railway goes from Taunton to the coast to Minehead. The site is at the foot of the Quantocks and close to Exmoor. Full details of what Somerset has to offer are available via the Sedgemoor District Council web site: www.sedgemoor.gov.uk
DESCRIPTION
Somerset View Caravan Park is approached on the left hand side off the A38 in the Taunton direction up an access road to the main reception area where a sentry gate stops traffic entering the one way road system into the caravan site. Paying customers, once booked in, have a key card to access the caravan site. There is a timber reception hut which doubles as a games room.
The Park Manager’s three bedroom Park home with garden, and car-parking is on the right, opposite the reception. Behind the reception area set back is a second park home and this is used by the vendor. There is a third static caravan for use by disabled visitors.
The main area has 65 caravan plots which are used by touring caravans and by seasonal caravan occupiers who pay an annual charge to leave their caravan within a plot of land with water and mains metered electricity. These plots are most popular as “second homes”. There is an excellent possibility that planning would be granted for 20 to 25 static units for affordable housing either in the existing caravan park or on the 1 acre currently described as a paddock.
The caravan storage area is an area where caravan owners store their caravans while they are not using them. Caravan owners pay an annual charge to store their caravan, boat or motor home and when the owner of the caravan, boat or motor home wants to collect them they telephone ahead so when they arrive at Somerset View Caravan Park the caravan/boat or motor home is brought out of storage ready to hook up and drive away. The storage area is a subsidiary of Somerset View Caravan Park known as Quantock Caravan Storage Limited, and separate accounts are available. The storage area has a capacity for 180 caravans.
The current owner has improved the site potential by agreeing planning consent on the bottom paddock for a 60 ft x 40 ft agricultural barn for storage and a games room. The proposed barn is an L shape and should be constructed of block walls with facing stonework, under a pitched roof. All materials must be agreed with the Local Planning Authority – Sedgemoor District Council, before construction takes place.
Planning consent has been granted to convert the first floor of the toilet and washing block into storage space.
INCOME & FUTURE OPPORTUNITIES
The Park and Storage are successful businesses with a combined current turnover of around £80,000 pa. However, consideration should also be given to the possibility of the 7 acres becoming valuable housing development land. The property lies between the urban edges of Bridgwater and Taunton which are gradually coming together. Nearly all of the available land within the strip separating the A38 and the M5, south of Bridgwater has been developed down to North Petherton so further building land in this area could
include the Caravan Park which is just beyond it. Any investment made now in this property could reap substantial rewards in the next 10 years.
RATEABLE VALUE
The Somerset View Caravan Park has a Rateable Value of £4,800 and the description is camping site and premises. The amount payable, (assuming a poundage of 0.485) is currently £2,328 per annum.
MANAGER’S ACCOMMODATION
As previously mentioned there is a site manager who lives on site in The Manager’s House at the entrance of the site. The manager deals with the day to day management of the site and the construction of seasonal pitches and the caravan storage duties. The manager is employed by the vendor and receives a salary, as well as accommodation with a car.
PLANNING HISTORY
Application No: 1/37/93/66 (1993) – Use of land as a transit caravan site and play area for tourists holidaying in the area with a static unit for a manager at Beggars Brook, North Petherton in Somerset. The conditions are now invalid with the permission for permanent storage.
Application No. 1/37/98/42 (1998) – The erection of a toilet/washing building at Transit Caravan Site, Beggars Brook, North Petherton. The site has a septic tank sewerage system.
Application No. 37/06/00129/CJA – Erection of a first floor extension to the washing amenity block to form a storage area.
Application No. 37/02/00016/CTP (2002) – Use of land to store touring caravans and the retention of temporary bunds at Somerset View Caravan Park, Taunton Road, North Petherton, Bridgewater, Somerset, TA6 6NW.
Application No. 37/03/00038/CTP (2003) – Siting of a mobile home adapted for the use by disabled person(s) as holiday accommodation at Somerset View Caravan Park.
Application No. 37/03/00100/CTP (2003) – Removal of condition 2 of Planning Permission 1/37/98/50 and condition 1 of planning permissions 1/37/02/16 and /37/03/38 to remove the time condition at Somerset View Caravan Park.
Application No. 37/09/00005 LE (2009) – Erection of building to be used for the secure storage of plant and equipment, bicycles and leisure equipment and provide games room facility all for use in connection with the caravan park.
Application No: 37/00/00048/CTP – Display of one non-illuminated free standing sign at Somerset View Caravan Site at Beggars Brook, off Taunton Road, North Petherton Bridgewater, Somerset.
LICENCES
The site has a licence authorising the land to be used as a caravan site (licence no.000041). The licence refers to licence 000042
Somerset View Caravan Park was signed off by the Head of Environmental Services of Sedgemoor District Council for complying with Caravan sites and control of Development Act 1960 and Caravan Sites Act 1968 in March 2001.
DIRECTIONS
The caravan park is situated about 2 miles south of Junction 24 of M5. Access is off the A38 Taunton Road. OS Sheet no. ST2931NW. OS Grid Reference: 329000.93 (Eastings) 131702.2 (Northings). See inset OS Plan. The postcode of the Caravan Park is TA6 6NW.
ACCOMMODATION
ADMIN OFFICE 4’7” x 6’10” & 3’11” x 19’9” (1.4m x 2.1m + 1.2m x 4.2m)
A useful office area with no external windows.
RECEPTION 6’6” x 10’5” (2m x 3.2m)
Laminate flooring and counter with timber casement windows. The office doubles as a games room for darts and pool.
TOILET & WASHING ACCOMMODATION
The toilet block is a comprehensive building housing the gentlemen’s and ladies toilets, showers and bathroom accommodation. Within the confines of the toilet block there is also a Laundry Room, Cleaners Cupboard, and The Service Room.
The toilet block is constructed from internal block work and facing brick work under a tiled roof. The toilet accommodation has been well planned with all the cisterns and heating equipment for the showers and bath being hidden from the general public behind an internal block wall, this area is known as the service room. The roof space is unused but there is potential to convert this into a residential dwelling subject to a detailed planning application being made to the Local Planning Authority.
GENTLEMENS TOILETS 23’ x 18’ (7m x 5.5m) (max)
There are three sinks and three urinals and three WC’s within the ‘mens Toilet Block. The internal finish consists of ceramic floor tiles and wall tiling to about 1.5m with painted block work above. Lighting is provided by way of fluorescent strip lighting and emergency lighting. There are three coin operated showers which provide hot water and full ventilation for 7 to 8 minutes per 20 pence.
LADIES 18’ x 22’11” (5.5m x 6.9m) (max)
The ladies is finished in the same way as the mens accommodation but there are five WC’s, two showers and three sinks with vanity units.
LAUNDRY (13’1” x 8’2”) 4m x 2.5m
There is provision for a laundry service with industrial coin-operated top loading washing and drying machines. The current cost is £2:50 to £3:00 per load.
CLEANERS CUPBOARD
Providing storage for cleaning materials.
BATHROOM
There is a room with a coin operated bath on the end of the toilet block.
THE SERVICE ROOM
A narrow store room with access to the moving parts of all the toilet cisterns and a floor mounted oil fired boiler made by Grant. There are also two large Ariston hot water storage tanks for the supply of hot water to the sinks and showers within the toilet areas.
There is a comprehensive electrical cupboard housing the main switches for electricity provision for the seasonal caravan plots and for the site and circuit breakers for the showers.
SERVICE YARD AREA
There is a 600 gallon oil tank which feeds the oil fired boiler and this remains with the property. The site sells bottled gas for purchase by caravan users and there is a gas cage in an area screened off for the safe storage of gas tanks. Within the fenced yard area is a lorry-back used for ground maintenance storage. The ground maintenance equipment is considered to be part of the site and consists of a ride-on mower, a self-propelled lawn mower, three brush cutters and a chain saw. Also included in the sale is an old Land Rover Defender used for moving caravans within the storage area.
GUIDE PRICE
Somerset View Caravan Park and Quantock Caravan Storage Limited is available as a going concern for £1,100,000 (one million one hundred thousand pounds sterling).
ACCOUNTS
The company accounts are available for perusal on condition of receipt of a letter of interest from the interested party. Alternatively, the accounts can be sent to the interested parties accountant.
VIEWING
Viewings are strictly by appointment through Arkwright Owens Chartered Surveyors, acting as sole agents with sole selling rights- Telephone (01432) 267213 or Julian Owens (07855) 744821
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