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Valuation Certificate
Instruction to Valuers

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Valuation Certificate
The Directors
The British Land Company PLC
10 Cornwall Terrace
Regent’s Park
London
NW14QP
Dear Sirs,
The British Land Company PLC (Excluding Joint Ventures)
Valuations as at 31 March 2004
Basis of instructions
In accordance with the terms of our appointment as Independent Valuers
to The British Land Company PLC, we have valued the freehold and
leasehold properties detailed below, as at 31 March 2004, for balance
sheet purposes and inclusion in your annual accounts. The properties
are predominantly held for investment and in some instances held for
development or in the course of development.
These valuations have been prepared in accordance with the
5th Edition of the RICS Appraisal and Valuation Standards published
by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, (the ‘Red Book’). The
extent of our investigations and the sources of information on which
we have relied are as described in Section 4 – Valuation Procedures and
Assumptions.
These valuations have been undertaken under the overall supervision
of the undersigned.
Compliance and independence
In accordance with the latest RICS regulations we can confirm that:
- Graham Spoor has supervised the regular valuation of the British
Land Main Fund portfolio since September 1999. Weatherall Green
and Smith (now ATIS REAL Weatheralls) have been your valuers
since 1985. Our policy is that, even though all valuations are
assessed by the panel as described below, we will change the
authorised signatory at least every seven years, as recommended by
the Carsberg Committee and in the RICS response to this.
- As part of our Quality Assurance procedures all of the regular
valuations we prepare, for any client, with a capital value of £10m
or greater are subject to an independent review from a Valuation
Director with no direct involvement in that valuation exercise.
- The total fees earned in our latest financial year from The British
Land Company PLC and its joint venture companies amounted
to substantially less than 5% of our company turnover.
- We do not carry out any other fee earning work for British Land.
We can also confirm that we do not have any material interest in
any of the properties and that we have undertaken these valuations
in the capacity of Independent Valuers.
Valuation
Our valuations are on the basis of Market Value. This is an internationally
recognised basis and is defined as:
"The estimated amount for which a property should exchange on the
date of valuation between a willing buyer and a willing seller in an arm’s-length
transaction after proper marketing wherein the parties had each
acted knowledgeably, prudently and without compulsion.”
We are of the opinion that the aggregate Market Value of your interests in
these properties, as at 31 March 2004 is:
£9,153,723,225
(Nine billion, one hundred and fifty three million, seven hundred and
twenty three thousand, two hundred and twenty five pounds)
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In our full report the valuations are categorised as follows:
| |
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Freehold |
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Long
leasehold |
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Part freehold/
part leasehold |
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Short
leasehold |
|
| A Held as investments |
|
7,930,272,125 |
|
435,072,000 |
|
16,800,000 |
|
8,390,000 |
| B Held for development |
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93,304,100 |
|
23,000,000 |
|
|
|
|
| C Owner occupied |
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|
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13,750,000 |
|
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| D In the course
of development |
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633,135,000 |
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|
|
|
|
|
| Total value |
|
8,656,711,225 |
|
471,822,000 |
|
16,800,000 |
|
8,390,000 |
|
This aggregate figure makes no allowance for any effect that placing the
whole portfolio on the market contemporaneously may have on the
overall realisation. The Market Value of the portfolio sold as a single entity
would not necessarily be the same as the aggregate figure reported.
Included within the aggregate are a number of negative values,
amounting in total to minus £922,000 (nine hundred and twenty two
thousand pounds). These have been deducted from the positive values
to arrive at a net aggregate figure.
Certain properties are held on very long leases, approximately 999
years at fixed peppercorn or nominal rents. In calculating the apportionments
between tenure types above, we have included these in the
freehold category. Short leasehold properties are classified as having
less than 50 years unexpired.
Property values may change significantly over a relatively short period.
Consequently our valuations are only valid on the date of valuation.
Valuation procedure and assumptions
The properties were all inspected both internally and externally by us
between March 2003 and March 2004. In preparing our valuations we
have taken into account market trends in the locality and except where
you have advised us to the contrary, or our other enquiries have alerted
us to this, we have assumed that there has been no material change to
any of the properties or their surroundings that might have a material
effect on value, since the time of our inspections.
The valuations have all been prepared by qualified and experienced
valuers and then, as part of our standard procedure, been considered
and agreed by a panel of senior Directors in the Valuation Department.
Details of the nature and extent of the properties, the terms under
which they are held, and of any sublettings, permitted uses and related
matters, have been supplied by you or your managing agents. Where
possible this information has been confirmed at our inspections.
We have considered title documents in our possession or made
available to us. Unless stated in our individual reports and therefore
reflected in our valuations, we have assumed the interests are not
subject to any onerous restrictions, to the payment of any unusual
outgoings or to any charges, or rights of way or easements.
We have relied upon information supplied by you relating to tenure
and related matters and have not commissioned formal legal searches.
We have therefore assumed the information provided to be accurate,
up-to-date and complete.
As agreed, our valuations are based on measurements provided by
you and carried out in accordance with The Royal Institution of Chartered
Surveyors Code of Measuring Practice. In many cases the areas
provided are as calculated following a rent review or letting and agreed
between the agents involved. Where appropriate, these have been
supplemented by our sample check measurements.
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Our valuations are based on the assumption:
- That except for any defects specifically noted in our report, the
property is in good condition.
- That no construction materials have been used that are deleterious,
or likely to give rise to structural defects.
- That no hazardous materials are present.
- That all relevant statutory requirements relating to use or construction
have been complied with.
- That any services, together with any associated computer hardware
and software, are fully operational and free from impending
breakdown or malfunction.
We have, however, reflected the general condition noted during the
course of our valuation inspections and any defects or hazards of which
we became aware in the course of our investigations. Any matters that
were considered material to the valuation are referred to in our reports.
Unless provided with information to the contrary our valuations assume:
- That the sites are physically capable of development or redevelopment,
when appropriate, and that no special or unusual costs will be
incurred in providing foundations and infrastructure.
- That there are no archaeological remains on or under land which
could adversely impact on value.
- That the properties are not adversely affected by any form of
pollution or contamination.
- That there are no abnormal risks of flooding.
We have, however, commented on anything discovered during the course
of our valuation enquiries that in our opinion might impact upon value.
We have made informal enquiries of the local planning and highway
authorities and may have relied on information that is publicly published
or available free of charge. Any information obtained is assumed to be
correct. No local searches have been instigated. Except where stated to
the contrary, we have assumed that there are no local authority planning
or highway proposals that might involve the use of compulsory purchase
powers or otherwise directly affect the property.
We have included in our valuations those items of plant and
machinery normally considered to be part of the service installations to
a building and which would normally pass with the property on a sale or
letting. We have excluded all items of process plant and machinery and
equipment, together with their special foundations and supports,
furniture and furnishings, vehicles, stock and loose tools, and tenants
fixtures and fittings.
Although we have reflected our general understanding of a tenant’s
status in our valuation, we have made no detailed enquiries about the
financial status of tenants. We assume that appropriate enquiries are
made when leases were originally exchanged, or when consent was
granted to any assignment or underletting.
For properties in the course of development, we have reflected
the stage reached in construction and the costs remaining to be spent at
the date of valuation. We have had regard to the contractual liabilities of
the parties involved in the development and any cost estimates that
have been prepared by the professional advisers to the project. For
recently completed developments we have taken no account of any
retentions, nor made allowance for any outstanding development costs,
fees, or other expenditure for which there may be a liability.
General conditions
This report and our valuations have been prepared on the basis that
there has been full disclosure of all relevant information and facts which
may affect them.
This report is private and confidential and for the sole use of The
British Land Company PLC for publication in its reports and accounts. It
may not be disclosed to any third party without our prior written consent,
nor published in any other document or circular, without our prior approval
in writing as to the form and context in which it shall appear. In breach of
this condition, no responsibility can be accepted to third parties for the
comments or advice contained in this report.
Yours faithfully

Graham Spoor BSC (Hons) MBA MRICS
Director – Investment Valuations
for and on behalf of ATIS REALWeatheralls Ltd
Norfolk House
31St. James’s Square
London SW1Y 4JR
15 April 2004
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