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It is a well-known fact that Oxford
has one of the highest house price
to earnings ratios in the country,
but why are house prices in Oxford
growing faster than that of any
other city in the UK? Quite simply
it is a supply and demand issue –
when supply is limited and there is
high demand, the consequence is
an augmentation of prices.
While this ‘phenomenon’ is grabbing
headlines, house prices in the UK as a
whole have risen faster than any other
developed country over the last 35 years
– hardly a contemporary issue. But it does
boil down to the under delivery of housing
stock; short term economic conditions
have had a knock on effect upon the
industry’s ability to increase supply to
meet demands and projected demands.
It would be wrong to say that it is a UK-
wide problem however, as demand is very
much focused in specific areas, as we see
in Oxford. To alleviate this problem, homes
need to be built where needed and need
to be the right type of homes to meet
demand. Ultimately developers are only
going to build what they think they can sell,
so the issue lies with finding available land
– which in Oxford is incredibly difficult.
The number of households is set to
dramatically increase over the next twenty
years, which will only succeed in fanning
the fire even more. For the Planning and
Development team at Strutt & Parker
identifying suitable sites for residential
development within Oxford and the
surrounding towns and villages is core to
our business. Whether it be brownfield
or greenfield we are eager to speak to
landowners who believe that their land
may have development potential.
Oxford and its environs are constrained
by the green belt and lack of space within
sustainable locations, therefore developing
any site requires expert knowledge and
approach. Strutt & Parker’s Planning &
Development department in Oxford has
a team of experienced town planners and
chartered surveyors, including valuers,
who specialise in the development process
from conception to completion.
While the planning process has arguably
got a little easier with the introduction of
the National Planning Policy Framework
(NPPF), planning is still no walk in the park.
In depth knowledge of the planning system
and proven experience of successful
application and appeal processes is crucial
when considering representation for a
potential site. Becoming more prevalent
is the need to engage with the community
on developments – residents want to be
informed and involved in the process that
will ultimately have an effect on their lives.
Strutt & Parker’s Planning and
Development team have an unrivalled
knowledge of the complete process, not
just the technical planning aspects but
also the commercial acumen to ensure
that clients are appropriately represented
and obtain consents that are not only
appropriate but also viable. Our strong
national profile and extensive database of
builders ensures that marketed sites get
the best possible exposure and therefore
achieve the best possible value.
With the Government is firmly behind
the drive to build more homes, with
a raft of new measures to incentivise
developers and ease planning regulations,
opportunities for development abound.
We are always interested to
speak to landowners who have
a potential development site
or need any sort of planning or
development advice, so please
contact one our experts who
will be able to provide you with
commercially astute advice.
STRUTT & PARKER
269 Banbury Road, Oxford OX2 7LL
01865 366666
struttandparker.com/oxford
