A team from WBD's Newcastle and Leeds offices has advised the Warde-Aldam family, owners of the Healey Hall estate, on the terms of a new partnership with Cripps Healey Limited (Cripps), which operates the Healey Barn wedding venue. The partnership will result in the provision of accommodation for guests of the Healey Barn venue in Healey Hall and adjacent cottages.   

WBD worked alongside Tom Warde-Aldam at Land Factor, Chartered Surveyors, who provided advice relating to the ongoing use of the estate and negotiated the heads of terms for the venture with Johnnie Dickinson, a director of Cripps. Saffery Champness advised on the financial arrangements within the partnership set up.

Cripps, part of the wider Cripps & Co. group – a family-run business which restores barns across the UK for high-end wedding venues, will continue to operate the Healey Barn wedding venue as a standalone operation. The provision of accommodation  will be offered through the new Healey Hall Partnership as a joint business venture between the Warde-Aldam family and Cripps. Bookings for accommodation are already being taken for weddings in 2019 and 2020.

WBD's team was led by corporate solicitor Oliver Rickett who provided structural advice in relation to the partnership arrangements and by private capital partner Alexander Dickinson, who has a long-standing relationship with the Warde-Aldam family.

Oliver Rickett comments:

"It was a pleasure to work with the Warde-Aldam family on this exciting venture which will expand the offering of one of the region's most successful growing businesses." 

James Warde-Aldam of Healey Hall said:

"My thanks go out to Alexander, Oliver and the team at Womble Bond Dickinson for providing us with the structural advice on the partnership with Cripps Healey and to Saffery Champness and Land Factor for their role in the set up and ongoing support as we begin our new venture with Cripps Healey. We hope that the partnership will be mutually beneficial and provide great accommodation to Healey Barn guests in addition to the first class hospitality already offered by the Wedding Venue."