Land for sale in Oakley Road, Horton-Cum-Studley, Oxford OX33

In all about 2/3 of an acre. A rare chance to acquire A unique and historic development opportunity, subject to planning permission, for an approx. 1200 sq ft barn conversion, A brick kiln to convert to A shelter/hay store, and the rest as A paddock.

Location:

The property is located about 100 yards East-South-East of the Horton-cum-Studley village periphery on the Oakley Road. It can be identified by the padlocked new galvanized steel bar gate. There is a name plaque 'The Brick Kiln' immediately to the left of the gate on the post and rail fence. There is a good-sized Oak tree by the roadside next to the gate. The field entrance immediately beyond it is not connected with this site and viewers are requested to keep this clear. The gated entrance in the photograph below is the vehicular access to the site. Please do not confuse it with the black painted gate with a similar name plaque just 50 yards closer to the village. If there are power and telegraph poles in the field opposite, you are at the wrong entrance! If when driving out of the village, you cross the culvert for Danes Brook you have gone too far. The picture below is what you are looking for and is found at the lower end of a gentle slope on the right-hand side. The plot and orientation of the photograph below are South-West and the dilapidated building in the mid-distance is the brick kiln itself.

History:

The property was originally roughly double the size and owned by two brothers. Both brothers are now deceased, and the land left to their respective wives in two parcels of roughly equal size at about 2/3 of an acre each and the title split into two on land registry. Only one part is for sale. The other part, neighboring and closer to the village, where the mobile home is, is specifically not offered for sale and we ask that you respect the owner's privacy.

The Opportunity:

The property has the potential, subject to planning permission, to develop into a residential dwelling of about 1200 sq ft (roughly 18m x 6m), shelter/hay store and the remainder as paddock, amounting to about half an acre or so, about 2/3 of an acre overall. As such it probably represents a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to find a site in this highly desirable village on the outskirts of Oxford.

Planning:

The property currently has no planning for residential use. Incoming buyers would need to apply for planning and conditional offers are expected to enable a buyer to get planning permission prior to any exchange of contracts. As the former working Brick Kiln, now dilapidated, is on the site, it is a brownfield site being formerly used for industrial manufacturing. The Brick Kiln itself has some historic interest to the village and probably the council too.

An architect, David Padmore of Home Design Studios was commissioned, in 2023 at the request of the owner, to determine with the council the viability of getting planning permission for conversion of the existing barn into a residential unit with access through the vehicular gate and the remainder of the plot to be used as paddock. A Pre-Application enquiry was made. The associated drawings are attached to this listing. The outcome of that enquiry is detailed in a letter from the council outlining what the next steps would be to facilitate a full planning application. This letter appears as a pdf attachment to this listing for full transparency along with the simple site plans. The owner, while recognizing the value in the plot, does not have the funds available to pursue a planning application herself. In recognition of the cost involved of a full application, about £14,000, she would be willing to negotiate a lock-out agreement under our guidance. She simply does not have the funds available to pursue planning herself, which is the only reason why the enquiry has not been developed into a full-blown planning application to date. Offers conditional on planning permission being granted would be entertained as this is where the value in the plot lies.

There are two dilapidated existing buildings on site; the old brick kiln itself, which potentially would make a shelter/hay store being plenty large enough internally, with an estimated spend of £20,000 and the barn which has been determined by structural engineers as suitable for conversion. (The Structural Engineering Studio Limited of Kenilworth, our recommendation). Their opinion is that 'the prospect of barn conversion is structurally feasible'. The cost to develop the barn is estimated at £200,000 by the architect. This was the basis for the Pre-Application enquiry with the council.

The council is likely to require the following to progress a planning application: -

1) The condition report of the structure. This has been commissioned and completed. It will be provided to an incoming buyer. It demonstrates the barn is suitable for conversion.

2) Establishment of lawful use as a paddock. The field has been used as a paddock for decades and appears on Google Earth with a horse in it. The owner has photographic evidence which she is willing to provide and can also sign a statutory declaration with a solicitor. This is being organized already.

3) A Bio-Diversity Report. This would need to be commissioned by an incoming buyer.