“Not to use or permit the demised premises or any part thereof to be used otherwise than as a self contained Maisonette comprising the ground floor and rear part of the Basement, a self contained flat on each of the first, second, third and fourth floors each flat and the Maisonette to be in one occupation only with boiler room and store and Caretaker’s quarters in the front basement to be occupied by a full-time Caretaker for the premises on a service basis …”
“11.3.3 Not to carry on or permit to be carried on at the specified premises any trade business or profession and not use or permit to be used the specified premises for any auction, exhibition meeting or public entertainment or any unlawful, illegal or immoral purpose or otherwise than as a single private dwellinghouse in one family occupation only or as not more than six self-contained flats or maisonettes each such flat or maisonette to be in the occupation of one family or household only.”
“If the two units are linked, the resulting maisonette will have a higher proportion of basement to ground floor space than currently and so the share of freehold value could be lower (as at the valuation date) than the£1,000 psf determined by the LVT. If, for the sake of illustration, the overall rate were reduced by 10% to£900 psf, on a total GIA of 2,346 sq ft, the value would be£2,111,400 . This would compare with£2,015,000 (£300,000 plus£1,715,000 ) for the two units separately, which is an increase of£96,400 .”
“At present, the majority of purchasers of properties in the square are either families or individuals who, I believe, would also have a preference for other properties in the square to be similarly occupied.”
“… should be no more than 5% to reflect the limited extent of the works and the fact that they were carried out in 1993/1994.”
“(1) As regards restrictive covenants, the conveyance shall include – (a) such provisions (if any) as the freeholder may require to secure that the nominee purchaser is bound by, or to indemnify the freeholder against breaches of, restrictive covenants which – (i) affect the relevant premises otherwise than by virtue of any lease subject to which the relevant premises are to be acquired or any agreement collateral to any such lease, and (ii) are immediately before the appropriate time enforceable for the benefit of other property; and (b) such provisions (if any) as the freeholder or the nominee purchaser may require to secure the continuance (with suitable adaptations) of restrictions arising by virtue of any such lease or collateral agreement as is mentioned in paragraph (a)(i), being either – (i) restrictions affecting the relevant premises which are capable of benefiting other property and (if enforceable only by the freeholder) are such as materially to enhance the value of the other property, or (ii) restrictions affecting other property which are such as materially to enhance the value of the relevant premises; and (c) such further restrictions as the freeholder may require to restrict the use of the relevant premises in a way which – (i) will not interfere with the reasonable enjoyment of those premises as they have been enjoyed during the currency of the leases subject to which they are to be acquired, but (ii) will materially enhance the value of other property in which the freeholder has an interest at the relevant date. (2) In this paragraph ‘restrictive covenant’ means a covenant or agreement restrictive of the user of any land or building.” 57. Mr Munro submitted that it did not matter whether the argument fell to be considered under paragraph (b) or (c), because in the present case it was not suggested that the restrictions sought by the freeholder (and imposed by the LVT) would interfere with the reasonable enjoyment of the premises as they have been enjoyed during the current leases subject to which they are to be acquired. Accordingly the crucial question was whether the user restriction sought by the Freeholder was one which: “will materially enhance the value of other property in which the freeholder has an interest at the relevant date.”
“6.2 It is clear from the extent of the improvements that the original state of the maisonette was unmodernised and lacking in en suite facilities. The creation of en suite bathroom facilities to the bedrooms, dressing room to the master bedroom, separate WC/cloakroom for the guests, direct access to the garden from the master bedroom and also the dining room, forming new laundry room and storage in the vault space and hence enlarging the kitchen are major improvements. The layout of the maisonette was vastly improved as a result.”
“I would emphasise that hope value is a speculative element of value that does not lend itself to objective assessment. It is essentially a matter of informed opinion. … [It] is, by its nature, speculative, uncertain and incapable of precise assessment.”
“185. The second question is will each proposed restriction materially enhance the value of other property in which the respondents have an interest? I heard evidence and submissions on material enhancement, including attempts to evaluate precisely in monetary terms the effect of the restrictions on adjoining property. In my judgment, this is an impossible valuation exercise. The question of material enhancement can, in my view, only realistically be considered in general terms. I give no weight to this particular evidence nor to the alleged admission by Mr Ryan (the exact extent of which has been disputed) that there would be only a slight diminution in value in the absence of the respondents’ restrictions. We are not concerned with diminution in value but with the material enhancement in value in consequence of the restrictions. In my judgment, material enhancement is essentially a matter of general impression.”
“witnesses are required to attend court no later than 9.45 am on the morning of the hearing”