Deals show it's not all doom and gloom

Insurance provider NFU Mutual bought the Zenith building at Clifton Park in York for 7.5m, while the former Chapel on the same site, which was converted to offices, has been sold freehold for more than 750,000 to create a medical consultation complex.

Aviva moved out of the buildings in 2009 as part of a shake-up to consolidate its properties for space and cost-effectiveness.

The Zenith building was sold to Harvester Salmon, which is part of NFU Mutual which will be occupying a substantial part of the building.

Reeves and Co chartered surveyors were involved in the sales of both buildings.

The deals come after The Blossom Street Venture, a Helmsley Group syndicate, represented by Reeves and Co, sold the Premier Inn

on Blossom Street in York to real estate fund managers Prupim for 10.45m.

Max Reeves, of Reeves and Co, said: "It's not all doom and gloom out there. These two sales combined with our recent sale of the Premier Inn make combined sales in excess of 18m in four weeks. These deals represent a great result in a difficult trading environment."