RE: Caterham leaves town
Discussion
Irish said:
To which, on the final day, the town (in the shape of Morrisons) thanked the many Caterham owners who flocked to the town by stopping Caterhams parking in the municipal car park.
Yep the Morrisons Manager put up a sign saying No Parking for Caterham 7s, and put a security chap on the entrance to turn them away. This was with most of the sevens parking on the rooftop level to keep the lower floors free for shoppers, and the top floor was completely empty.So Morrisons didn't seem very sad to see Caterham go!
A very well informed locally based Commercial property "birdie" has done some digging around the company and land registries and found that the landlord may well be a company closely connected with the Nairn family.... founders of Caterham Cars. If true, it seems there is clearly no room for sentiment in the property world. Perhaps it will be for the best if Caterham end up in a purpose built modern facility (as long as it is close to the town) worthy of their success?
The Caterham Showroom site is owned or was owned by the Nairn family pension fund it would seem the pension fund was getting a bit low so Simon sold to churchill's after giving CC the run around over the lease......the eventual new showroom will be a much larger more modern facility with an owners area a large 8 bay workshop, parts department, large Showroom and parking Area....
Didn't realise there so many locals on here 
Rather than try and multi-quote
The original showroom/factory as has been said was based 'on the hill' behind the Esso Garage, hence that building still being called Seven House. The site that closed last week was just their showroom.
The ex Mercedes Rose & Young site that is in need of some serious work is privately owned and it would be great if Caterham Cars took it over and made something of it but not holding my breath on that one.
There is no McD or BK but we do now have a KFC and a fair share of other unhealthy food outlets.
And as for Ann Summers, whilst the owners may live in Caterham their business has always been in Whyteleafe and IIRC they had to take down the big billboard on the side of their offices as it was a danger to the traffic coming off the bypass
Rather than try and multi-quote The original showroom/factory as has been said was based 'on the hill' behind the Esso Garage, hence that building still being called Seven House. The site that closed last week was just their showroom.
The ex Mercedes Rose & Young site that is in need of some serious work is privately owned and it would be great if Caterham Cars took it over and made something of it but not holding my breath on that one.
There is no McD or BK but we do now have a KFC and a fair share of other unhealthy food outlets.
And as for Ann Summers, whilst the owners may live in Caterham their business has always been in Whyteleafe and IIRC they had to take down the big billboard on the side of their offices as it was a danger to the traffic coming off the bypass
Bah! 
Another local here, thoroughly unhappy about this news
On saturdays, while my wife wanders the supermarket, I like to slip next-door to the Caterham showroom to see if I could be tempted into one - had other 7s before, currently have a Phoenix, been tempted by the academy cars.
Am going to miss that simple weekend pleasure. As has been commented, the town of Caterham does need a boost, this really won't help.
Another local here, thoroughly unhappy about this news
On saturdays, while my wife wanders the supermarket, I like to slip next-door to the Caterham showroom to see if I could be tempted into one - had other 7s before, currently have a Phoenix, been tempted by the academy cars.
Am going to miss that simple weekend pleasure. As has been commented, the town of Caterham does need a boost, this really won't help.
Let me get this straight: "Well known British auto makers see an opportunity for themselves, and sell to Asian/German/Middle East/insert-foreign-entity here, interests." The new owners do whatever they want with it. Is there something I've missed?
Capitalism as we know it, has no heart, and has led us to where we all are today.
Capitalism as we know it, has no heart, and has led us to where we all are today.
jeremyc said:
It's not the site of the original factory - that was in Town End, Caterham-on-the-Hill.At the time their current site was a Vauxhall dealership - Station Garage.
I know this as I'm a Caterham lad born and bred, and used to press my nose up against the windows of the original Caterham showroom/factory many years ago.
Still sad that they're leaving the town though, even if only temporarily.
Edited by jeremyc on Tuesday 26th February 17:06
JamesHayward said:
I think you will find Caterham Cars have had a long term lease on the Caterham site and were pretty much told they had to leave.
No one has been clear here. There is an awful lot of high dudgeon about this and condemnation of the government. Assuming Caterham owned the long leasehold on the property, there are maybe 3 ways they can be 'forced to leave'.1). Compulsory purchase. Would be very odd to see these powers used on a little retirement community unless it is part of a wider regeneration scheme (is it?). Not totally out of the question.
2). A normal lease event. Eg an option to break or lease termination and the freeholder (as mentioned earlier) wants the property back under s.25 of the 1954 Landlord and Tenant Act. These are hardly unusual, and caterham would have signed the lease in full knowledge.
3). Other leader clause. May be that the freeholder had an option to purchase/revert the interest at the Market Value of the lease. Once again caterham signed on the line.
You cannot be 'pretty much told to leave' at the drop of a hat
If this was a healthfood shop pistonheads would be smugly informing them it was progress!
I agree its sad in an end of an era way, but this damn and blasting is absurd.
T of a morrisons manager. Dam & Blast.
Shame they are gone, but hardly worth all this angry nonsense. Hopefully it will mean they will have modern factory and showroom. As much as the old place had "charm" it seems to me to be getting rapidly disconnected with the concept of a modern high tech sports car.
I just think its a shame they didn't move closer to the F1 factory what with all the expertise nearby (And nothing at all to do with how close it is to my house ) (And yes, this is a joke, I know expecting the workforce to move to Oxfordshire would not work).
I just think its a shame they didn't move closer to the F1 factory what with all the expertise nearby (And nothing at all to do with how close it is to my house
) (And yes, this is a joke, I know expecting the workforce to move to Oxfordshire would not work).http://images.pistonheads.com/nimg/27190/caterham_...
I know cateham is all about lightweight, but that driver can not be old enough to hold a licence
I know cateham is all about lightweight, but that driver can not be old enough to hold a licence
PaulMoor said:
Shame they are gone, but hardly worth all this angry nonsense. Hopefully it will mean they will have modern factory and showroom. As much as the old place had "charm" it seems to me to be getting rapidly disconnected with the concept of a modern high tech sports car.
I just think its a shame they didn't move closer to the F1 factory what with all the expertise nearby (And nothing at all to do with how close it is to my house ) (And yes, this is a joke, I know expecting the workforce to move to Oxfordshire would not work).
There's a lot of "Wah! Change is bad!" going on it seems. Hopefully Caterham Cars can take this as an opportunity to find a great site for a new showroom.I just think its a shame they didn't move closer to the F1 factory what with all the expertise nearby (And nothing at all to do with how close it is to my house
) (And yes, this is a joke, I know expecting the workforce to move to Oxfordshire would not work).Vocal Minority said:
No one has been clear here. There is an awful lot of high dudgeon about this and condemnation of the government. Assuming Caterham owned the long leasehold on the property, there are maybe 3 ways they can be 'forced to leave'.
1). Compulsory purchase. Would be very odd to see these powers used on a little retirement community unless it is part of a wider regeneration scheme (is it?). Not totally out of the question.
2). A normal lease event. Eg an option to break or lease termination and the freeholder (as mentioned earlier) wants the property back under s.25 of the 1954 Landlord and Tenant Act. These are hardly unusual, and caterham would have signed the lease in full knowledge.
3). Other leader clause. May be that the freeholder had an option to purchase/revert the interest at the Market Value of the lease. Once again caterham signed on the line.
You cannot be 'pretty much told to leave' at the drop of a hat
If this was a healthfood shop pistonheads would be smugly informing them it was progress!
I agree its sad in an end of an era way, but this damn and blasting is absurd.
My assumption would be that at some point in history the Nairn family granted a lease to Caterham Cars of the showroom. It might have happened during their ownership and was done for sound financial reasons to ensure that the property was protected in the event of the company folding, or for pension planning or it might have been done when the company was sold.1). Compulsory purchase. Would be very odd to see these powers used on a little retirement community unless it is part of a wider regeneration scheme (is it?). Not totally out of the question.
2). A normal lease event. Eg an option to break or lease termination and the freeholder (as mentioned earlier) wants the property back under s.25 of the 1954 Landlord and Tenant Act. These are hardly unusual, and caterham would have signed the lease in full knowledge.
3). Other leader clause. May be that the freeholder had an option to purchase/revert the interest at the Market Value of the lease. Once again caterham signed on the line.
You cannot be 'pretty much told to leave' at the drop of a hat
If this was a healthfood shop pistonheads would be smugly informing them it was progress!
I agree its sad in an end of an era way, but this damn and blasting is absurd.
The result of any of these options would be that the company would only have a lease of the property and therefore at the end of term of the lease effectively had too go. Arguably they could have bought the freehold, however as it has been sold for residential use that probably did not make commercial sense.
The fault effectively lies with whoever sold the freehold or hived it out the company in the first place, assuming it was ever owned by the company!
green-blood said:
http://images.pistonheads.com/nimg/27190/caterham_...
I know cateham is all about lightweight, but that driver can not be old enough to hold a licence
Start 'em young. 20 years from now she might be in the starting lineup for the LM 24 hours.I know cateham is all about lightweight, but that driver can not be old enough to hold a licence
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