Sale agreed for Terry's site in York

4:18pm Monday 21st January 2013 in News Photograph of the Author Exclusive By Jennifer Bell, jennifer.bell@thepress.co.uk

Sale agreed for Terry's site in York Sale agreed for Terry's site in York

A BUYER has been found for the former Terry’s chocolate factory in York, meaning redevelopment of the site could finally go ahead.

An undisclosed company has successfully bid to buy the entire Chocolate Works site off Bishopthorpe Road, where a £165 million scheme including hundreds of new homes, hotels, shops, bars and restaurant are planned.

The site was put up for sale last year after plans for its transformation by York-based developer Grantside stalled.

Matthew Jones, of York property firm Savills, which is handling the sale, said a price had been agreed between the bidder and the site’s owners, it was under offer and solicitors had been instructed.

He said the buyer – who could not be named yet for legal reasons - was one of more than ten businesses on a “local, regional and national scale" that had come forward to express an interest in the site.

“We received several bids for The Chocolate Works and these have now been reviewed by the seller and the site placed under offer,” he said.

“The purchaser has agreed to buy the site unconditionally.

“This proves that for the right asset in the right location there is still a strong appetite for investment, especially in a city like York where the residential and leisure markets have held up well in the past few years.”

He was unable to reveal the price offered for the site, saying: “Because it is such a large site with mixed uses there was not a guide price; offers were invited by private treaty via informal tender”.

The site, where products such as the world-famous Chocolate Orange were produced, closed in September 2005.

Grantside bought it for £26 million the following year after its then agents put it up for informal tender.

The development was finally granted planning permission two-and-a-half years ago, 18 months after the council had controversially rejected the company's original proposals.

The plan was to create 2,700 new jobs and hundreds of new homes as well as injecting fresh business to the area, by building two prestigious hotels, shops, bars and restaurants.

City of York Council leader James Alexander said today that the site was an important part of the city’s plans for development in coming years, and he was pleased it would be moving forward under new owners.

“Planning permission is agreed and the council is, as with any stalled site, ready to help facilitate its redevelopment at the earliest opportunity,” he said.

“Once underway, it will further enhance the city’s reputation as being open for business.”

Comments(32)

meme says...
4:33pm Mon 21 Jan 13

Good now lets see the planning battle start again especially over the affordable housing percentage
its no wonder that devlopers cannot put in affordable when the likes of JRHT get a million a year subsidy to make it work at Derwenthorpe!

Report this post »

capt spaulding says...
4:55pm Mon 21 Jan 13

There are 50000 Romanians and Bulgarians gathering for an invasion so get on with it or they will be camping on the knavesmire.

Report this post »

bolero says...
5:34pm Mon 21 Jan 13

capt spaulding wrote:
There are 50000 Romanians and Bulgarians gathering for an invasion so get on with it or they will be camping on the knavesmire.
No. they'll be buying property with their benefits.

Report this post »

TerryYork says...
5:42pm Mon 21 Jan 13

Another win for James Alexander. Well done fella.

Report this post »

NoNewsIsGoodNews says...
7:03pm Mon 21 Jan 13

I saw somebody lurking outside Terry's today, with what looked like a jar of newts and a bag of bats.

Report this post »

bob the builder says...
7:13pm Mon 21 Jan 13

If Grantside paid over the odds at £26m for it, and I reckon it went for £13m this time, presumably they will go into administration owing the taxpayer bailed out and owned banks a lot of money?

Report this post »

bill bailey says...
7:24pm Mon 21 Jan 13

Gallaway will be puttingf his twopennyworrth in ,it was becouse of his and his followers that prevented the present owners from developing the site
when Granside bought the site the council was doing cartwheels and said they would give the company every assistance to provide jobs for York. as it happend they put every obsticle in their way,now lets get this show on the road.

Report this post »

bill bailey says...
7:31pm Mon 21 Jan 13

NoNewsIsGoodNews wrote:
I saw somebody lurking outside Terry's today, with what looked like a jar of newts and a bag of bats.
Yes so did i, looked like Gallaway ,but i was told he was getting the lights altered again he had to pick his wife up.

Report this post »

again says...
7:35pm Mon 21 Jan 13

Yo!

Hope it works out as it is becoming a real eyesore.

Guess the vandals smashed the clock face.

Report this post »

Minstermummy says...
8:08pm Mon 21 Jan 13

Bout time this site was developed and the main building n old offices turned into a beautiful top hotel and leisure complex like it could be
.. Although I wouldn't stay on the top floor as its haunted - used to give me the creeps working up there !

The whole saga since it shut has been a disgrace - I hope the council don't make the same mistake and block every planning request this time

Report this post »

3dalton says...
8:23pm Mon 21 Jan 13

I have been following this for a while now and there is always some kind of problem like the last article about the fire, lets hope this happens as i am a local resident and would like to use the shops and see it do well.

Report this post »

Garrowby Turnoff says...
9:22pm Mon 21 Jan 13

It could only happen in 'Broken Britain' that Goddards, the home of Noel Terry the factory owner, has been refurbished by us lot (ie National Trust) on Taddy Rd. Whilst just across the Knavesmire the place that built his fortune is falling into ruin. Are we really pulling down our workers factories, whilst adorning the houses of the rich?

Report this post »

Paul Meoff says...
10:44pm Mon 21 Jan 13

Garrowby Turnoff wrote:
It could only happen in 'Broken Britain' that Goddards, the home of Noel Terry the factory owner, has been refurbished by us lot (ie National Trust) on Taddy Rd. Whilst just across the Knavesmire the place that built his fortune is falling into ruin. Are we really pulling down our workers factories, whilst adorning the houses of the rich?
Who is 'us lot' in the context of the National Trust?

And what do you suggest they do with the factory? Nationalise it and return to chocolate production?

Report this post »

Garrowby Turnoff says...
11:19pm Mon 21 Jan 13

Paul Meoff wrote:
Garrowby Turnoff wrote:
It could only happen in 'Broken Britain' that Goddards, the home of Noel Terry the factory owner, has been refurbished by us lot (ie National Trust) on Taddy Rd. Whilst just across the Knavesmire the place that built his fortune is falling into ruin. Are we really pulling down our workers factories, whilst adorning the houses of the rich?
Who is 'us lot' in the context of the National Trust?

And what do you suggest they do with the factory? Nationalise it and return to chocolate production?
"Us lot" is the membership of nearly 4 million of us who support its existence by subscription.

A return to some sort of manufacturing (with jobs) is a step back too far. Oh that the economic climate required it, but alas, not yet.

Don't you see the irony?

Report this post »

Scarlet Pimpernel says...
1:20am Tue 22 Jan 13

TerryYork wrote:
Another win for James Alexander. Well done fella.
What has HE won, exactly ?

Let's see how the Council 'facilitate' the redevelopment of the site, and how quickly building work starts.

I suspect the buyer will renegotiate the S106 requirements, then look for buyers and tenants for parts of the site, offloading some or all of it for a land trading profit. I don't expect any work to start for quite a while yet, but, would love to be proved wrong by the prophet Alexander.........

Report this post »

pedalling paul says...
7:19am Tue 22 Jan 13

bill bailey wrote:
Gallaway will be puttingf his twopennyworrth in ,it was becouse of his and his followers that prevented the present owners from developing the site
when Granside bought the site the council was doing cartwheels and said they would give the company every assistance to provide jobs for York. as it happend they put every obsticle in their way,now lets get this show on the road.
Hands up anyone who knows what an obsticle is........

Report this post »

ebore says...
8:05am Tue 22 Jan 13

It's like you but the first two letters have been changed.

Report this post »

notmyrealname says...
8:08am Tue 22 Jan 13

We don't need "fresh business" injecting into the area thanks - Bishy Road has a perfectly adequate selection of small businesses who don't need any competition from big shopping centres. Similar applies to the B and B s and restaurants in the area.

Report this post »

Scarlet Pimpernel says...
8:13am Tue 22 Jan 13

I notice that the following paragraph has been omitted from the piece in the Press today...

“Planning permission is agreed and the council is, as with any stalled site, ready to help facilitate its redevelopment at the earliest opportunity,” he said.


Wonder why ?

Report this post »

Scarlet Pimpernel says...
8:15am Tue 22 Jan 13

How many of the major stalled sites have the Council actually helped facilitate, and how ?

Report this post »

capt spaulding says...
9:19am Tue 22 Jan 13

Im glad James Alexander has never "HELPED" me

Report this post »

meme says...
9:23am Tue 22 Jan 13

The site was effectivly owned by the irish banks anyway
I understand the origianl investors lost control but probably not much money as the Irish banks financed it all!
It would be god to se it get off the ground but I wont be holding my breath as there is so much to sort out including detailed planning. I suspect if CoYC erenegotiate the residential affordable we may see homes going up but I susopect the commercial element is a dead duck for years to come..
Mainly all residential in the future I suspect with changes in planning

Report this post »

heworth.28 says...
10:20am Tue 22 Jan 13

bolero wrote:
capt spaulding wrote:
There are 50000 Romanians and Bulgarians gathering for an invasion so get on with it or they will be camping on the knavesmire.
No. they'll be buying property with their benefits.
Rather unlikely, but carry on with your irrational rubbish whilst the real problems persist!

Report this post »

Events politics Life says...
12:21pm Tue 22 Jan 13

Looking forward to seeing the plans lets get this city firing again and people into work

Report this post »

uhtred says...
12:40pm Tue 22 Jan 13

Chocolate factory? That won't last long once the temperature rises!

Report this post »

Scarlet Pimpernel says...
1:10pm Tue 22 Jan 13

Events politics Life wrote:
Looking forward to seeing the plans lets get this city firing again and people into work
Hmmm, sounds like something James Alexander would say, or instruct someone to say ?

Report this post »

Scarlet Pimpernel says...
4:15pm Tue 22 Jan 13

Scarlet Pimpernel wrote:
I notice that the following paragraph has been omitted from the piece in the Press today...
“Planning permission is agreed and the council is, as with any stalled site, ready to help facilitate its redevelopment at the earliest opportunity,” he said.
Wonder why ?
How does the Council oprpose to 'facilitate' the redevelopment of this stalled site ?

Does this just mean that they will not hinder it with greedy, unrealistic affordable housing requirements, which is the reason housing sites are stalled.

We will have to wait and see.......

Report this post »

Digeorge says...
5:27pm Tue 22 Jan 13

capt spaulding wrote:
There are 50000 Romanians and Bulgarians gathering for an invasion so get on with it or they will be camping on the knavesmire.
No. they'll be buying property with their benefits.


Many a true word spoken in jest!

There will be even fewer jobs as have you noticed that the Poles are hardworking but they know every single benefit they are entitled to!

We have a large enough housing problem without the Romanians and Bulgarians (I have a very nice Uni friend who is a Romanian and she is very hardworking).

Report this post »

meme says...
5:27pm Tue 22 Jan 13

its not 50,000 eastern europeans its 500,000 a year for next 5 years Hopefully not all in York!

Report this post »

The Junkyard Angel says...
9:25pm Tue 22 Jan 13

Digeorge wrote:
capt spaulding wrote: There are 50000 Romanians and Bulgarians gathering for an invasion so get on with it or they will be camping on the knavesmire. No. they'll be buying property with their benefits. Many a true word spoken in jest! There will be even fewer jobs as have you noticed that the Poles are hardworking but they know every single benefit they are entitled to! We have a large enough housing problem without the Romanians and Bulgarians (I have a very nice Uni friend who is a Romanian and she is very hardworking).
The Terry's pumps dont work cos the vandles took the handles!

Report this post »

Hoofarted says...
11:22pm Tue 22 Jan 13

Laveracks paranoia gets worse lol

Report this post »

Magicman! says...
3:49am Wed 23 Jan 13

This place has been empty for nearly 10 years... for goodness sake just get something built in it as it's practically worthless to the city as it is, just an empty factory.

Report this post »

click2find

About cookies

We want you to enjoy your visit to our website. That's why we use cookies to enhance your experience. By staying on our website you agree to our use of cookies. Find out more about the cookies we use.

I agree