30 acres of Chipping up for sale

6:00pm Friday 30th July 2010 in Chipping Photograph of the Author By Chris Hopper, Reporter

FLASHBACK: HJ Berry’s base in Chipping pictured earlier this year FLASHBACK: HJ Berry’s base in Chipping pictured earlier this year

ADMINISTRATORS of an historic furniture firm have put huge swathes of a village up for sale as they bid to claw back money for creditors.

Almost 30 acres of land once owned by HJ Berry, the 170-year-old Chipping company that collapsed in February, are set to be auctioned off.

Administrators need the money to help pay back creditors owed more than £1million in total.

Among the assets set to go under the hammer are the firm’s old mill and newer industrial complex.

Houses owned by HJ Berry will also be auctioned off, along with land and even a cricket pitch.

Administrators at Manchester-based CLB Coopers have not revealed how much they hope to raise from the auction, led by chartered surveyor Wignall Brownlow.

But they have had 25 expressions of interest in the property and the land, including one from former boss Andrew Berry.

CLB has already offloaded The Talbot pub which was owned by HJ Berry.

And the administration firm has even found a new home for Gandhi the goose, who lived on a pond near the mill buildings.

Paul Hunt, chairman of Chipping Parish Council, said: “There’s a lot of land there but at the moment we have got no idea who is interested or what they might do with the land.

“It is difficult to know what plans people might have. It would certainly be nice to see it put to good use but I think all options are open.”

In April, administrators revealed that the firm, which made tables and chairs, was on course to record losses of £1million had it continued trading.

Among its debts were £470,000 owed to Lloyds TSB, £270,000 to HM Revenue and Customs and a £5million black hole in the company pension fund.

Comments (3)

3:07pm Sat 31 Jul 10

petestan says...

Presumably the people living in the houses will be interesting in buying them, if they have found a new job of course.
In a small village like that they should be able to get their £1 million back by demolishing the factory and building new houses, although that may not be very popular.
Presumably the people living in the houses will be interesting in buying them, if they have found a new job of course. In a small village like that they should be able to get their £1 million back by demolishing the factory and building new houses, although that may not be very popular. petestan

3:21pm Sat 31 Jul 10

ClitheroeKid says...

petestan wrote:
Presumably the people living in the houses will be interesting in buying them, if they have found a new job of course. In a small village like that they should be able to get their £1 million back by demolishing the factory and building new houses, although that may not be very popular.
Demolishing the factory and building new homes/flats etc is a lot easier said than done as Chipping is a conservation area. Converting the factory to flats is probably the answer though.
[quote][p][bold]petestan[/bold] wrote: Presumably the people living in the houses will be interesting in buying them, if they have found a new job of course. In a small village like that they should be able to get their £1 million back by demolishing the factory and building new houses, although that may not be very popular.[/p][/quote]Demolishing the factory and building new homes/flats etc is a lot easier said than done as Chipping is a conservation area. Converting the factory to flats is probably the answer though. ClitheroeKid

3:36pm Sat 31 Jul 10

petestan says...

ClitheroeKid wrote:
petestan wrote:
Presumably the people living in the houses will be interesting in buying them, if they have found a new job of course. In a small village like that they should be able to get their £1 million back by demolishing the factory and building new houses, although that may not be very popular.
Demolishing the factory and building new homes/flats etc is a lot easier said than done as Chipping is a conservation area. Converting the factory to flats is probably the answer though.
Yes I didn't think about that, but as you say someone will simply convert the factory.
Although it's a conservation area these companies that do this sort of thing already know what needs doing to get it allowed.
[quote][p][bold]ClitheroeKid[/bold] wrote: [quote][p][bold]petestan[/bold] wrote: Presumably the people living in the houses will be interesting in buying them, if they have found a new job of course. In a small village like that they should be able to get their £1 million back by demolishing the factory and building new houses, although that may not be very popular.[/p][/quote]Demolishing the factory and building new homes/flats etc is a lot easier said than done as Chipping is a conservation area. Converting the factory to flats is probably the answer though.[/p][/quote]Yes I didn't think about that, but as you say someone will simply convert the factory. Although it's a conservation area these companies that do this sort of thing already know what needs doing to get it allowed. petestan

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