Knowledge of the local market and the intricacies of the planning system are the speciality of Chipping Norton-based Empire Homes. The company is currently building a quality scheme of fourteen apartments in the town, on sale now at prices from £110,000.

Brendan O'Brien, who owns Empire Homes with his two brothers, Paul and Conor, says: “We are 'the local developer'. We all live in the area and I doubt that any other developer understands West Oxfordshire better than we do. This is our third project in Chipping Norton; we have previously built three houses at The Leys and Nine in Wards Road so local people recognise the quality of our work.”

Planning permission for Churchill Place, on Churchill Road, was originally granted for eight dwellings. However, using their understanding of the local market and their combined design and construction skills – all three brothers are fully qualified craftsmen and Paul has even represented England at the World Skill Build Olympics in Japan – they redesigned the development to provide fourteen apartments, without compromising its quality.

Brendan says: “As a result of the increase in number, we have been able to maximise the use of the site, provide a better mix of units and get the prices down to very competitive levels.”

Savills New Homes team in Oxford is marketing the properties at prices from £110,000. The one and two bedroom apartments, built of Cotswold stone with roofs of natural blue slate, blend in sympathetically with surrounding buildings and will be finished to a very high specification. Built on a hillside, several of the apartments will have glorious views down the Windrush valley towards Bliss Mill, Chipping Norton's famous reminder of the town's heyday as a centre of the wool trade.

Individually designed high gloss kitchens with integrated appliances, stylish white sanitary ware and flush panelled doors with chrome ironmongery all help to provide the attractive contemporary finish which is in favour with discerning purchasers looking for property today.

Karen Mole of Savills says: “Churchill Place represents a fantastic opportunity for several types of buyer including first timers, key workers, young professionals, downsizers and retired people. It's close to, but not right in the centre of town, with allocated off-street parking and carport spaces with individual lockable stores nearby, and the ground floor apartments have gardens. This is one of the best quality schemes currently available in Chipping Norton.

“It's a pleasure to work with Empire Homes because they are so hands-on and both we and purchasers can always get an immediate decision when needs be.”

Empire Homes has recently completed two apartment developments in the villages of Freeland and Enstone. Both developments were well received and sold well. Brendan O'Brien says: “There is a clear need and demand for affordable open market properties in rural villages. We have found that you can design apartment developments to blend in with traditional village settings and that there is strong local demand from first time buyers and others to purchase such units.

“All of our work is in Oxfordshire and ninety per cent is in West Oxfordshire. Over the past twenty years we have built a wide range of properties from million-pound-plus houses to the first open-market affordable homes in the district.”

Churchill Place will launch on Saturday and Sunday, 8 and 9 November, with a show home open from 11am to 3pm on both days. Completion is scheduled for early summer 2009. For more information and a brochure, call Savills New Homes Hotline, 01865 269010.

-ends-

Photo attached: Brendan O'Brien and Karen Mole at Churchill Place <>

For more information contact:

Karen Mole, Savills Oxford: 01865 339720 kmole@savills.com

Helen Hutt, Savills Oxford press office: 01865 269113 / 07831 682092 hhutt@savills.com