Joint Venture Partnerships

City & Country Group acquired Balls Park, Hertford in 2001. The historic buildings on the site date back to the mid 17th Century and comprise the Grade I Listed Mansion House, the Grade I Listed West Wing which was designed by Robert Lorimer (the Scottish Lutyens) in 1924, the Coach House and the 1902 Stables. All of which are set within a Grade II registered historic park and garden.

In the Adopted Local Plan it was recognised that enabling development would be required to fund the repair and conservation of the very poorly maintained listed buildings. It did however state that the Grade I Listed Mansion House was not to be converted for residential use as it was believed that a commercial use would be more sympathetic and less intrusive to the building’s character.

In 2003, planning permission was granted for a comprehensive redevelopment of this highly sensitive site according to English Heritage Enabling Development Guidelines that allowed the minimum new build possible to ensure the repair of the listed buildings and park. The scheme included:

• commercial use for the listed buildings,
• the demolition of unsightly 1960’s college buildings
• the development of 132 new homes that were sensitively designed to respect the setting and context of the listed buildings and the historic park

In order to concentrate on the restoration of the nationally important Mansion House and historic registered park, City & Country decided to introduce a joint venture partner.  Due to the sensitive nature of the site and setting, an 'out of the ordinary' developer partner was sought.  Explore Living, part of Laing O’Rourke,and Britain’s largest privately-owned construction firm was selected in 2007 to construct and market the new build units.

It became clear that the consented scheme for commercial use in the listed buildings rather than protecting these historic assets was in fact going to have a detrimental impact on the fabric of the buildings. City & Country Group therefore worked very closely with the planning officers, conservation officers and English Heritage to consider all the possible alternatives including hotel use, small serviced offices and large ‘houses’ designed around the original staircases. Eventually it was concluded by English Heritage that ‘the optimum viable use’ for this important Carolean country house was into residential apartments. Planning permission was granted last year and building work is now well underway.

City & Country are also working in partnership at King Edwards VII Hospital where we are proud to have been chosen as the development partner based on the company’s long tradition of constructively and imaginatively finding solutions that fit sensitively with the important heritage and ecological aspects of complex and difficult sites.

Following a number of years of reduced investment in the buildings and landscape, in 2002 the 500,000 sq ft hospital went into liquidation and the Estate has subsequently had an unfortunate history. Despite planning approvals for various schemes since the hospital closed none have been viable meaning that these nationally important historic buildings and landscapes have now lain empty for over seven years. Failed plans, administration and receivership have put the restoration that this well-loved local landmark deserves on hold. Most recently the King Edward VII Estate has been repossessed by the bank, which has selected City & Country as a development partner to find and deliver a long term and viable solution for this challenging and complex site

"Macquarie selected City & Country as its joint venture partner based on their track record and expertise in repositioning listed buildings."

Andrew Cavill, Associate Director, Macquarie Bank Limited.