Delays, Doubts, and Doing It Right - Turning a Contaminated Scrapyard into a £5.5m Development
I’ve never been afraid of hard work. In fact, I’ve only ever known it.
I started out with no money to my name, I didn’t come from a property background, and I was somewhat forced into becoming a ‘property investor.’ In 2012 I began renting out rooms in my house to students, in order to cover my bills. I took on any extra work I could find and eventually, my savings grew enough for my first project.
Building up capital took time, but those years have stayed with me. They shaped how I work, how I treat people, and how I build things. I’m not just developing buildings, I’m creating business, a life, and a legacy.
This latest project is the biggest I’ve ever taken on. A one-acre scrapyard in the heart of Witney, just outside Oxford. It’s contaminated, complex, and crawling with red tape. Most people wouldn’t touch it, but I saw past the mess. I saw homes, a possibility, and a challenge worth rising to.
Getting the Deal Over the Line
We actually lost out on the deal at first. It was on the market for £1.25 million plus VAT — a stretch by anyone’s measure — and we were outbid by a larger developer. But the deal fell through and ten weeks later, I got the call asking if I was still interested.
By then, I’d already done my appraisal. I’d walked the site, knew the numbers, the layout, and the risk. We moved quickly, this time securing it through a joint venture with an international investor. They flew in after one meeting and said, “Let’s do it.”
We structured it as a cash purchase which gave us speed, strengthened our relationship with the agents, and gave us the ability to negotiate. We managed to get the price down by £100,000 because we were prepared.
Why Transparency Matters
That’s the first thing I’d tell anyone starting out: honesty matters. When people are pitching for sites and saying “we’ve got cash,” nine times out of ten, they don’t. But we told the truth. I didn’t have £1.4 million lying around, but I had a track record, a plan, and the kind of reputation that says, “If I say I’ll buy it — I will.”
Of course, the purchase was just the beginning. The site came with over 40 planning conditions, mainly due to contamination. And let me tell you, contaminated land is no joke. You don’t just chuck some soil on top and hope for the best. You need proper surveys, consultants and specialists. It’s expensive. It’s exhausting. But it’s the only way.
Wading Through the Planning Maze
We knew clearing a contaminated scrapyard would come at a cost, and it did. But one silver lining was the remediation relief. Because we followed all the correct procedures, we’re able to claim 150% of our remediation costs against tax. That’s a huge benefit and something many developers overlook. It doesn’t make the cleanup cheap, but it definitely helps ease the sting, especially on projects like this, where doing things properly really matters.
We also had to have noise reports done to prove the site would be quieter as homes than it was as a scrapyard. I paid £1,500 for a report that essential says, “Yes, it’s less noisy now.” We had SuDS (Sustainable Drainage System) reports for drainage and had to fight the council when they tried to make us replace the entire sewage pipe down to the main road. At one point, I genuinely thought, “Are we building homes or rewriting the town’s infrastructure?”
But with the right consultants who knew how to push back respectfully, we got through it. That’s another thing I’ve learned: you need a good team. You can't do this alone. I’ve worked with the wrong people in the past. I’ve lost money because of it. So now, I only work with those who know more than me in their field and who care about the work.
The Power of Slowing Down
We took our time. We purchased the site in November, but I didn’t rush the start. I didn’t want to mess it up, and I’d rather start two months later and sleep at night, than bulldoze ahead and regret it.
And when we finally did start in April, it was intense. Clearing a scrapyard is no small thing. We found asbestos, tyres, things buried decades ago when the rules were different, or non-existent. But again, we didn’t cut corners, we brought in proper demolition and environmental teams.
Because when you know you’re doing something the right way, it might cost you more in the short term, but it saves you so much in the long run both legally, financially, and morally.
Respecting the Past While Building for the Future
That’s something I hold close in every project: doing right by people. The family who sold us the land had owned it for three generations. They weren’t just “vendors” they were people, with their grandmother’s house backing onto the yard. They needed to move, and they needed a buyer they could trust. That meant something to me.
The development itself will include ten new-build homes and three townhouses, created by converting the original Cotswold-stone office building on-site. It’s huge — nearly 300 square metres — and full of character. I love conversions. They bring soul to a project, but they’re also tricky. The building isn’t listed, but the land around it sits in a conservation area, so permitted development rights didn’t apply. We’re going for full planning, which is slower, but it’s the right call.
You’ll Never Know It All
And here’s where I want to say this: don’t be afraid to learn as you go. Planning isn’t my strong suit. I’m not a planner by trade. But I read, I ask, I listen. I bring in experts and I keep showing up. Every project teaches you something if you let it. So don’t wait until you “know enough.” You’ll never know everything. Just start and learn forward.
I’m proud of what we’re building. Not just in bricks, but in approach. We’ve structured the JV so that we retain equity, not just fees. That was a decision we made last year. No more working as contractors on other people’s dreams. We wanted to build our own and now, we are.
Teach the Truth, Not the Highlights
Of course, that comes with risk. There’s always risk. But if you’ve got the right people around you, and you’re honest with your investors, you can navigate it. We had a moment where one investor got nervous. Things were delayed. “Why haven’t you started yet?” they asked. And I had to say, because I’m protecting your money. We’re waiting for the conditions to clear, because that’s the smart thing to do.
And that’s really my biggest lesson, and the advice I’d give to anyone coming into this industry: be real. Don’t pretend you know it all, keep learning and own your mistakes. Be humble, work harder than everyone else and care — truly care — about what you’re doing.
That’s why I mentor young people now. I want them to see that this path is possible, not just if you’re wealthy, or well-connected, but if you’re committed. I want to be the voice I never had when I was starting out. To show them that you can come from nothing, and build something beautiful with heart, with honesty, and with grit.
This project isn’t just another development. It’s a symbol of what’s possible when you back yourself fully, fearlessly, and without apology.
SIDE BOX – Project Snapshop: The Witney Scrapyard Development
Purchase Price: £1,150,000 + VAT (cash deal, reduced from £1.25M + VAT)Planning & Professional Fees: Approx. £65k (including surveys, reports, discharging over 40 conditions)Build Cost: Estimated £2.4m (including remediation, demolition, and 10 new build + 3 x townhouse conversion)Gross Development Value (GDV): £5,500,000
Profit: £1.1m
Contacts details:
Email: land@tsoy.co.uk
Website:
Linkedin: Victoria Tsoy ()
Instagram: victoriadevelops
