Delivering diversification success

CLA members David and Suzy Harvey have transformed redundant farm buildings at Wickham Hall on the Essex-Hertfordshire border into a thriving a high-end business park. Lee Murphy reports.

David Harvey has a simple approach when it comes to exploring new business diversification opportunities. “When somebody comes to us and says what do you think about this project, our default position is always to say yes,” says David, who is the owner of the Wickham Hall Business Park near Bishop’s Stortford.

“Under closer examination some ideas and concepts may not always be sustainable and we don’t take them forward, but our position is always to have an open mind to absolutely every opportunity and then investigate them further. This state of mind is fundamental for us.”

Wickham Hall is a luxury business park and includes a range of converted Grade II and curtilage listed buildings as well as other converted agricultural buildings.

Tenants include a popular restaurant/café, yoga and Pilates studio, luxury jewellers, beauty salon, florist, gym and personal training studio, coworking space and a high-end furniture retailer.

“Each diversification decision has to be done on its own merit,” says David. “Our plan has always been to try and find as many really strong parts of the business as we can and develop as many new ones as possible.”

The initial driver for this farm diversification project was necessity. Wickham Hall had a large dilapidated Grade II thatched barn that was falling down.

Lengthy discussions with the local authority over a number years saw David eventually gain permission to develop the barn for commercial use. Other former agricultural buildings have also now been transformed in a phased approach to the development.

“I felt strongly that old buildings with no modern agricultural use should be able to have new uses,” comments David. “At the same time we started the project, the government was talking about diversification with the view that you’re never going to make enough money purely from farming – and that you need to get out there and do other things. It was these factors that spurred the project on.”

Today, Wickham Hall is home to a variety of high-end businesses. “It is an enjoyable marketplace to be in,” says David when discussing why the luxury market has become one of the sites unique selling points. “We needed to be able to charge rentals that were high enough to support the building costs so we had to go to that end of the market. Geographically where we are, we believed it would support that clientele.”

Wickham Hall is located near the market town of Bishop’s Stortford. It has excellent transport links along the M11 to Cambridge and central London, rail services to Cambridge and London and is just seven miles from Stansted Airport.

Yet the site retains its rural setting with views from the offices of horses and cattle in nearby fields. “That is very important to us,” says David. “There is not only the challenge of maintaining the physical space – the sewage, the water, the lighting and all the rest of it, but also the green infrastructure.

“The first genesis of the idea was to create something that would be an attractive physical space so that people would want to be here. Quite rapidly, the importance of human wellness gained a greater priority.

“For example, when you’re indoors in the buildings there is daylight frequency lighting and air source heat pumps that are linked to heat exchange systems, so there is fresh air in the buildings. It feels like a pleasant place to work in and is good for your mental health. Then there is the green space outside.”

The Rosey Lea café/restaurant was one of the first businesses to locate to the site which attracted a high turnover of visitors. The wellness centre, with its yoga and Pilates classes is popular too. But with lots of customers, comes one of the challenges.

“The way the planning regulations are set up, and the way councils tend to deal with private transport, means it can be very problematic to get enough car parking space.” comments David.

From the start of the project David enlisted the support of rural property consultancy Sworders, who offer surveying, planning and architectural services across the residential, commercial and agricultural sectors, to help with the development.

“To have a client who is passionate about trying new things and to have an open mind when it comes to business opportunities is critical to help drive things forward,” says Sworders Director, Hazel Izod.

“The area where the business park is located has changed a lot over the last 20 years. There is the Bishop’s Stortford North expansion and the actual access to Wickham Hall is now through a residential estate rather than what was previously just a rural track. That has really helped when it comes to issues like sustainability and the non-reliance on cars, with walking and cycling access. It also means there is a good demand for commercial tenants in the area.”

The farm side of the business has been in the family since the 1930’s and is overseen by David’s son Patrick. It remains a core part of the focus at Wickham Hall. A low impact, low till system of agriculture is in place where the philosophy is two-fold. One is to build up the carbon and biodiversity in the soil – thereby increasing the fertility of the land. The second is for the farm to become the most profitable agricultural business it can.

A solar farm, a dog park and a fishing lake make up other diversifications at Wickham Hall. “Agriculture can be a very difficult space to operate and it can be very difficult financially to be a farmer. Therefore, alongside our farming we have created something that brings an additional income but is also really exciting to be part of.” David concludes.