16 Jul 2018 07:00
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The Local Shopping REIT plc
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Update on Property Sales Programme
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The Board of The Local Shopping REIT plc ("the Company") is pleased to provide the following update on progress with its property sales programme.
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Since the last update, the Company has sold 20 properties for an aggregate price of Β£3.7 million, representing a 7.2% discount to carrying value before sales costs.
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Four of the properties sold were private treaty transactions which completed for an aggregate sale price of Β£603,000, representing a 3.1% discount to carrying value before sales costs.
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The other 16 sales were disposed during the late May and July auctions. The aggregate sale price of these was Β£3.1 million representing a 7.9% discount to carrying value before sales costs. The recent auction sales weighed heavily towards those assets subject to the pre-emption rights of residential tenants under section 5 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1987, and included some more challenging properties.
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The sales costs associated with these disposals are estimated to be circa 4.6%, resulting in a realised loss on sale of 11.8%. This incorporates the increased sales costs associated with properties subject to section 5 notifications.
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Excluding properties where we have exchanged contracts for sale, the portfolio comprises 86 properties valued at Β£23.9m.
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Within this, we are progressing a number of private treaty sales and have agreed terms, subject to contract, on 26 properties (total book value Β£10.5 million). This includes one significant portfolio sale and a number of assets subject to statutory waiting periods due in relation to section 5 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1987.
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This leaves 60 properties valued at Β£13.4 million which we will continue to market as individual assets and small portfolios, both in the private treaty market and the auctions during the remainder of the calendar year.
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Proceeds of the asset sales have been used to repay outstanding bank debt, which now stands at Β£1.3m and will be repaid in full from committed sales by the end of this month, achieving an important milestone in the Company's stated investment policy.
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[ENDS]
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Enquiries:
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Rupert Wallman, Fund Manager +44 20 7355 8800
Bill Heaney, Company Secretary +44 20 7355 8800
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