Selling Land in Oxfordshire

• It sits next to, or is well related to, an existing town or village.
• A safe access onto a public road is possible, even if it needs work.
• Most of the land is outside the highest flood risk zone.
• It is not covered by a strong designation such as a Site of Special Scientific Interest.
• It is about 2 acres or more, or part of a larger holding.
• Everyone who owns it is willing to consider one clear, agreed price.

If your land does not tick every box, ask anyway. Many of the sites we take on have a problem to solve, whether that is access, drainage, a tenancy or an awkward boundary, and solving those problems is our job.

1. A first conversation. You call us or send the form on this page. We need only your postcode, your name and a phone number or email.
2. A free desktop review. Within a few days we look at your land, the planning position in Oxfordshire and the routes open to it, and tell you plainly whether it suits us. The review is free and confidential, with no obligation.
3. Heads of terms and the option agreement. If it suits, we agree a price with you in writing, then the option agreement itself. We contribute to your solicitor's and land agent's fees, so it costs you nothing to get it done properly.
4. The planning work, at our cost. We pay for the surveys, the design, the planning application and any appeal. You carry on farming, grazing or letting the land as you do now.
5. Completion. If planning permission is granted, we complete the purchase and you receive the agreed price on completion. If it is not, you keep your land and owe nothing.

How selling land for development works, step by step gives the detail of each stage and how long it usually takes.

The Oxford Green Belt

The Oxford Green Belt was drawn to protect the setting of the historic city and to stop it merging with the towns and villages around it. Parts have been released through local plans, for example north of Oxford and around Kidlington. Policy S5 does not apply in the Green Belt, but land there that does not strongly contribute to its purposes can be grey belt. Homes there need evidence of need, usually a supply short of five years or a result under 75%, which Oxford, Cherwell and South Oxfordshire show today, and larger schemes carry the Golden Rules. As the setting of a historic town is one of those purposes, land close to Oxford needs careful assessment. Our grey belt guide explains the test.

National Landscapes

The Cotswolds National Landscape covers part of West Oxfordshire. The North Wessex Downs cover the downland south of Wantage and Didcot, and the Chilterns reach into the south east of the county around Henley and Watlington. National policy gives great weight to their landscape and scenic beauty, major development inside them needs exceptional circumstances, and land in their setting is assessed for its effect on views and character.

The Thames and Its Tributaries

The Thames and its tributaries, including the Cherwell, Windrush, Evenlode, Thame and Ock, run through the county. Parts of Oxford, Abingdon, Witney and many riverside villages have a history of flooding. Land in Flood Zones 2 and 3 faces the sequential test, but homes can often be kept to the Flood Zone 1 part, with the rest used for open space and drainage.

Blenheim and a Rich Stock of Listed Buildings

Oxfordshire has a rich stock of listed buildings and conservation areas, and Blenheim Palace near Woodstock is a World Heritage Site. Development within the setting of heritage assets is judged on its effect on their significance, which can shape the layout and density of a scheme rather than stop it outright.

Infrastructure

Growth has put pressure on roads, schools and water and sewage capacity, and councils look closely at how a scheme will be served. A good site is one where access, drainage and utilities can be sorted out at a sensible cost, which our desktop review assesses.

For most owners selling land in Oxfordshire, the Green Belt around Oxford and the three National Landscapes settle the route first; flood risk, heritage and servicing then shape how many homes a field can carry.

Delivery and five-year supply are two different tests, and most Oxfordshire councils pass the first but not the second. Under policy S5, a shortfall is evidence of unmet need to be weighed, not an automatic finding. The strongest routes are usually:

1. A planning application under policy S5. Outside the Green Belt in Cherwell, South Oxfordshire or West Oxfordshire, a field adjoining a town or village where roads, schools and drainage can cope.
2. Local plan allocation. Cherwell, Oxford and South and Vale are at examination and West Oxfordshire at its final draft, so land left out is argued before the inspectors or kept for the next plan. Our call for sites guide explains the route.
3. Neighbourhood plans. Many Oxfordshire towns and villages have neighbourhood plans that allocate smaller sites. Thame was one of the first towns in England to allocate its own housing sites this way.
4. Grey belt, around Oxford. Previously developed land and fields that do little to stop sprawl or merging can qualify, subject to the Golden Rules on affordable housing, infrastructure and green space.
5. Previously developed land. Old yards and commercial sites, which national policy favours inside and outside settlements.
6. Sites near stations. National policy now supports homes within walking distance of well-connected stations. Whether it applies depends on the station and its service.

Oxfordshire rewards good evidence. Well placed land can be very valuable here, and by either route the work takes time and money, which is why we pay the planning costs for you.