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The severed garden of Eden Hall

By Cecilia Chow / The Edge Property | December 24, 2015 9:00 AM MYT
Tags: Eden HallBritish High CommissionerNassim Road
The second floor verandah of the British High Comissioner’s official residence, Eden Hall at 28 Nassim Road, commands a fine prospect of the front lawn, which is ringed by old trees, with the Union Jack fluttering in the wind. That view and the house itself is still protected, although the rest of the estate is up for grabs.

This is because the UK government has carved up two plots (Plots A and B) on the eastern side of Eden Hall for sale by public tender. The sites have a combined land area of 34,254 sq ft, and amounts to 35% of the existing grounds of 97,889 sq ft.

Plot A has a site area of 18,620 sq ft, and a 36 m frontage along Nassim Road. It includes a huge part of the garden along the driveway and an open air parking space for about six cars. The other land parcel, Plot B, has a long narrow driveway leading up to an elevated rectangular site adjacent to the house. Plot B has a total area of 15,634 sq ft. Both sites are zoned for residential use under the Good Class Bungalow (GCB) area of Nassim Road, the most prestigious address in Singapore.

Given its wider frontage along Nassim Road, Plot A has a price tag of $2,200 psf, with the absolute price amounting to $40.96 million. Plot B is priced lower at $2,000 psf, owing to its long driveway, which translates to an absolute price of $31.27 million. CBRE is the sole marketing agent for both plots.



The front lawn of Eden Hall will be retained by the British government





Why sell now?

The sale of Plots A and B will mean not just the loss of the eastern part of the garden but the swimming pool too. In return, the British High Commissioner will gain two new neighbours among Singapore’s seriously rich.

“The UK government has a responsibility to the taxpayer to ensure that its owned estate is of the right size necessary to undertake the functions associated with the estate,” according to a statement by the British government’s Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO). The sale was undertaken as part of a regular review by FCO of its overseas estate in order to “achieve better value and efficiency”, it said. “In this instance the garden at Eden Hall is larger than is necessary to accommodate the official functions of the HC Residence.”

Following the sale of these two garden plots, the total land area will be reduced to 63,893 sq ft, which is “the minimum size required to maintain the value of Eden Hall, while allowing the normal residence functions to continue,” adds the FCO.

The British high commissioner’s residence will continue at Eden Hall, which is a 14,000 sq ft double storey house. It has three reception rooms on the first level, and another reception room on the second level with a wraparound verandah. There are also six bedrooms on the second level.



Steeped in history

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