A DILAPIDATED Headington house that is currently under appeal to be demolished could be refurbished instead.

After a long-running wrangle with Oxford City Council , developer Martin Young, who owns 29 Old High Street, has applied for permission to extend and renovate the house, which is in the Old Headington Conservation Area.

Mr Young, who intends to stand as an independent candidate for the role of Thames Valley Police Commissioner, bought the house in 1978 but has not lived in it for more than five years.

The house had fallen into a state of disrepair and Oxford City Council had ordered him to improve it.

Last year Mr Young submitted a planning application to knock the building down and replace it with five three-storey houses but this was thrown out by the city council. But he has said he would now prefer to refurbish the building rather than knock it down.

Oxford Mail: Martin Young

Martin Young

The 67-year-old said: “I would for sure be minded to go for this new application if I was successful with both.

“My heart tends that way and I don’t like knocking things down but my agent says that with the demand for nice houses in Old Headington it would be better to keep it.”

Mr Young’s new application involves the demolition of an outbuilding and garage as well as rebuilding the stone wall along Old High Street that is currently patched up with breeze blocks.

Mr Young has appealed the council’s decision to refuse his previous redevelopment plan and the hearing is set to take place at Town Hall in St Aldate’s on Thursday, August 2, from 10am.

Mr Young said he wouldn’t withdraw the appeal because he wanted to keep his options open.

Old High Street resident Stella Welford said: “It would be nice if the appeal was not going forward so we have just got to wait and see.

“Certainly the new application is a great improvement on anything he has submitted before.”

Saga of 29 Old High Street

  • June 2011 – The property is put on Save’s annual Buildings at Risk register.
  • September 2011 – Martin Young files an application to knock the house down.
  • December 2011 – Mr Young’s application is thrown out.
  • March 2012 – The improvement deadline passes and no work has been carried out. Mr Young appeals against the decision.
  • May 2012 – The council says it will not be taking action over the improvement order until the appeal has been sorted out.
  • July 2012 – Mr Young submits a new application to restore the house.