Organic gardening facility placed on the market as charity looks to diversify

Ryton Organic Gardens

Bruton Knowles has been instructed to market the freehold interest in an organic gardening facility in Coventry.

Ryton Organic Gardens is an education and research centre run by Garden Organic, a national charity dedicated to researching and promoting organic gardening.

Proceeds from the sale will be used to expand the charity’s work across the UK.

Set on a 22.18-acre site on Wolston Lane in Ryton upon Dunsmore, the mixed-use property comprises circa 53,000 sq ft of office and retail space, agricultural buildings, extensive gardens and agricultural land, as well as more than 170 car parking spaces.

The main building, totalling 11,580 sq ft, is occupied by Garden Organic and houses the charity’s main offices, seed library, kitchen and orangery.

A second building (6,158 sq ft) comprises a conference centre, training and meeting rooms, offices and a café. A further office/research building (13,494 sq ft) is occupied by Coventry University.

Ian Mercer, partner and head of development at Bruton Knowles in Birmingham, is advising Garden Organic.

He said: “This is a unique opportunity to acquire the freehold interest in a well-established, income producing site that has both the potential for further rental growth and development opportunities, subject to the appropriate planning consents being obtained.

“Organic growing has become more mainstream and there are now more opportunities to see this demonstrated across the country. The charity has therefore decided that the money spent on running the site at Ryton could be better spent funding projects elsewhere where the charity can make a greater difference.”

Garden Organic was registered in 1958 as the Henry Doubleday Research Association (HDRA). Originally based in Essex, the charity relocated in the mid 1980s to its current home in Ryton, but since then the challenges and opportunities that the charity faces have changed enormously.

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