Key Points
- A pair of Grade II listed retail buildings located on Bicester’s main shopping street, Sheep Street, have officially been put up for market sale.
- The long-leasehold properties—comprising popular high street fashion retailer New Look and the Old School Barber Shop (36 to 38 Sheep Street)—are being offered for sale with an asking price of around £450,000 by commercial property agents White Commercial.
- Number 36 Sheep Street is a three-storey Class E retail unit housing New Look, featuring a large open-plan sales area, upper-floor storage, rear loading access, and one parking space, sold with vacant possession and a quoted potential income of £30,000 per annum.
- Number 38 Sheep Street is a self-contained ground floor unit trading as a barber shop, let out to tenant H Osselli Esq on a 10-year lease starting from September 2017, bringing in a current rent of £20,000 per annum.
- The entire site encompasses approximately 4,774 sq ft and offers considerable development potential on its upper floors, where historical planning and listed building consent had previously been secured—though later lapsed—for conversion into two two-bedroom apartments.
- The properties sit on a rare 500-year lease originating back to 1579, protected by a defective title indemnity policy valued up to £1.09 million.
uk/local/bicester/">Bicester (Oxford Daily) July 31, 2026 – A high-profile commercial property portfolio anchored by prominent British fashion retailer New Look in the heart of Bicester’s main retail district has officially been placed on the open market, drawing significant attention from regional investors, developers, and retail analysts alike.
Why are the Bicester New Look buildings put up for sale?
As reported by commercial property correspondents and journalists covering the local Oxfordshire business beat for the Oxford Mail, the dual retail buildings spanning numbers 36 to 38 Sheep Street have been brought onto the commercial market with immense scope for both immediate rental income yields and future structural redevelopment.
The long-leasehold investments are being marketed directly by commercial real estate firm White Commercial, who have attached an asking price tag of approximately £450,000 to the package. Industry observers note that high-street real estate transactions of this nature offer a critical window into shifting micro-economies across Oxfordshire towns, particularly as retailers navigate evolving consumer habits and commercial property valuations.
What are the structural and tenancy details of the site?
Detailing the physical composition of the asset, the Oxford Mail noted that number 36 Sheep Street serves as the core commercial anchor. It is structured as a three-storey Class E retail unit currently occupied by the fashion retailer New Look.
According to property particulars outlined by White Commercial and cited by the Oxford Mail, the New Look store space provides a large, open-plan sales area on the ground floor. This is complemented by functional upper-floor storage rooms, essential rear loading access, and a single designated parking space. Crucially for potential buyers looking to reposition the asset or renegotiate tenancy agreements, this primary unit is being sold with vacant possession and carries a quoted potential income generation of £30,000 per annum.
Immediately adjacent lies number 38 Sheep Street, which functions as a self-contained ground floor retail unit operating as the Old School Barber Shop. Documented lease records highlight that this smaller unit is securely let to tenant H Osselli Esq on a firm 10-year commercial lease agreement that commenced in September 2017. The barber shop currently yields a steady rental income stream of £20,000 per annum, providing incoming buyers with an immediate cushion of baseline cash flow.
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What is the total footprint and development potential?
Evaluating the scope for expansion, real estate disclosures covered in the Oxford Mail reveal that the combined site footprint spans an impressive total of approximately 4,774 square feet.
Beyond its ground-floor retail operations, the buildings boast considerable upside potential concentrated on the upper floors. Estate agents have emphasized that historical planning permission and formal listed building consent were previously granted to convert these upper levels into two separate two-bedroom residential apartments. Although those specific planning consents have since lapsed, the precedent for residential conversion remains a major selling point for developers seeking to capitalise on local housing demand through a mixed-use reconfiguration scheme.
What are the unique leasehold and legal conditions?
Adding a layer of historical complexity and security to the transaction, the properties are anchored by an extraordinary 500-year long lease that dates all the way back to 1579.
To mitigate prospective legal risks associated with a leasehold of such antiquity, agents confirmed that a comprehensive defective title indemnity policy—valued up to £1.09 million—has been put securely in place. This financial backing is designed to reassure prospective investors regarding title integrity, ensuring a smooth conveyancing process for whoever acquires the multi-building lot.
What response has been gathered from stakeholders?
As market interest picks up following the public listing, local media inquiries have been launched to gauge the broader corporate strategy behind the sale. Representatives from the Oxford Mail confirmed that formal requests for comment have been directed toward corporate spokespeople at New Look’s main headquarters to clarify how the potential building sale might impact the long-term operational future of the Bicester retail branch.
As of press time, corporate representatives for the fashion brand have yet to issue a formal statement regarding the property transaction. Meanwhile, commercial property analysts point out that retail stores frequently operate on long-term occupational arrangements where freehold or long-leasehold ownership changes hands among investment funds or private landlords without immediately triggering high street store closures.
Local business leaders in Bicester are closely monitoring the sale, viewing it as a bellwether for town centre investments amidst ongoing broader discussions concerning parking provisions, footfall encouragement, and commercial vitality across Oxfordshire’s primary retail corridors.
