THE former Syngenta site in Fernhurst is understood to have been sold to a London-based property company.

Contracts were believed to have been exchanged at the beginning of the month with Comer Homes and the deal should be completed by September.

Comer Homes, founded 15 years ago, has a reputation for converting historic buildings in and around greater London and the South East.

The company is understood to want to re-let as much of the commercial property as possible and consent for residential development is likely to be sought.

Syngenta moved out of Fernhurst 18 months ago, transferring to its European headquarters at the Surrey Business Park in Guildford.

The site comprises 250,000 square feet of business accommodation set within 56 acres of park land and can accommodate 700 staff, with 800 parking spaces.

It includes the main office block, a conference centre and the areas known as Bridgelands, Homelands, Copse, and Longfield.

Following Syngenta's move in December 2001, the site lay empty for months, before Midhurst millionaire businessman James Gold expressed an interest.

Mr Gold wanted to turn the site into "the finest green business community in the country" and planned to convert the existing buildings into a state-of-the-art business village to be known as the Fernhurst Business Development.

He proposed to rent out the offices to businesses and offer a wide range of services in the including a creche, a restaurant, and a sport and leisure complex and to integrate the business within its environment.

However, the deal fell through in February this year when Mr Gold failed to meet the asking price.The site was originally the home of ICI Plant Protection Division, later renamed ICI Agrochemicals.

When the pharmaceutical and agrochemical divisions split from ICI in the early 1990s, it became Zeneca Agrochemicals until it merged with Novartis at the end of 2000 to form Syngenta.

Comer Homes were unvailable for comment as The Herald went to press.