25 May 2018 | 2 min.
a.s.r. acquires the country estate Junne from Delta Lloyd, which was acquired by NN Group in 2017. Landgoed Junne is located in the municipality of Ommen in the province of Overijssel and, with an area of approximately 1047 hectares, it is one of the larger private country estates in the Netherlands. The acquisition price amounts € 25,25 million.
Country estate Junne consists for more than 70% (740 hectares) of woodland. 22% (230 hectares) of the land is agricultural land and the remaining part of the estate consists of nature conservation and recreation areas. Landgoed Junne is part of an extensive nature conservation area intensively used for recreational purposes. There are cycling and hiking trails through the area, such as the Pieterpad.
The country estate has many cultural-historical elements. Characteristic are the farmhouses, the agricultural peat moors, the village square, wooded banks, sand drifts, moorlands and special timber plantings. Farms, (holiday) homes and a sawmill are also located on the country estate. Junne is known for its highly varied standing timber, with the Scots pine occupying a dominant position. In addition to leasing agricultural land, a.s.r. will also generate revenues from the sale of timber and the renting out of holiday homes.
Dick van den Oever, director of Rural real estate at a.s.r. real estate: “It fits in with a.s.r.’s tradition to invest in country estates. With this purchase, we are able to perfectly combine our social commitment with achieving a stable financial return. In addition, our stewardship activities will be aimed at maximising the impact to support the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. We opt for the sustainable conservation of this unique 300-year-old country estate and invest in it so that biodiversity and soil fertility will be promoted. Moreover, the estate will remain open to the public, so that everyone can enjoy it. This is what we call investing with perpetual value.”
With a portfolio of approximately 37,000 hectares, a.s.r. is the largest private owner of agricultural land in the Netherlands. In addition to agricultural land, a.s.r. also owns country estates and golf courses. The rural real estate portfolio is managed by a.s.r. real estate.