Residents have pledged enough to cover 2 High Street, but the building is under offer to a private buyer. The group has asked the parish council for CIL money.
People in Watlington have pledged £312,700 towards buying shops on their own High Street. That is more than half of the £600,000 the group behind the plan says it needs. The figure comes from the live pledge tracker on the Watlington Community Property website, read on Friday 2 October.
It is also more than enough to cover the first building on its list. But that building, 2 High Street, is now under offer to someone else.
Watlington is about nine miles north-west of Henley, on the edge of the Chilterns.
The three buildings
Watlington Community Property is a community benefit society, registered with the Financial Conduct Authority as No. 9831 and supported by Plunkett UK. Its aim is to buy High Street freeholds and hold them for good, let at fair rents to independent businesses. An asset lock in its rules means a property, once bought, can never be sold for private gain.
It is taking pledges for three buildings:
| Building | What it is | Running total needed, with costs | Status, per the society |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 High Street | Two shop units and a long-leased flat above | £272,000 | Under offer to a private buyer |
| 6 High Street, Watlington Arcade | Four shop units and three long-leased flats | £449,000 | Owner approached the society; early talks, no rival offer |
| 26 High Street | The ground-floor shop only, valued by the society at about £125,000 | £600,000 | Whole building for sale at £450,000; the society is asking whether the shop can be split off |
The society describes 2 High Street as “the most visible building on the High Street”. Its website now says the building is “under offer to a private buyer” and that it needs to “move quickly”. It is asking for more pledges “to help us put in a counter offer”.
The 6 High Street arcade has been in the same ownership for 40 years, the society says. The owner approached it directly and has expressed a preference to sell to the community.
Pledges are not money yet
A pledge is a promise, not a payment. The society says pledges “are not investments” and that its share offer will open “once we are ready to proceed”.
When it does, the society says:
- the minimum investment will be £500
- every member gets one vote, however much they put in
- shares pay no dividend, though interest may be paid later if there is a surplus
- there is no capital gain
The two documents the society has published give different lock-in periods. The website says shares can be withdrawn after three years. The presentation to the public meeting on 16 July said a five-year lock-in. In both versions withdrawal depends on the society’s finances, and the July slides say “there is no guarantee of when, or whether, this will be possible”.
The July slides also say at least 51% of members must live in the OX49 postcode area.
The prices have moved too. In July the society put 2 High Street at £245,000. The website figure of £272,000 includes costs.
The parish council has been asked for money
Watlington Parish Council discussed a request from the society at its meeting on 8 September. The agenda lists it as a “CIL funding proposal”. CIL is the community infrastructure levy, the charge on new building that parish councils receive a share of.
The parish council has not yet published the minutes of that meeting, so its answer is not on the public record. Its next full council meeting is on 13 October.
Who is behind it
The society’s founding members, as listed on its website, are:
- Robin Fieth, chair, former chief executive of the Building Societies Association
- Steph Van de Pette, secretary, a former parish councillor
- Kevin Senior, treasurer, a retired accountancy partner
- John Riddell, landlord of the Spire & Spoke and chair of Watlington Business Association
- Jessica Carlisle, current landlord of 2 High Street
The website says 2 High Street has been in the Carlisle family for decades.
What it means for you
If you live in or near Watlington and want to back it, pledging costs nothing today. The pledge form is on the society’s website, which says “every expression of support strengthens our case”.
If you are thinking of investing later, read the share offer document when it is published. Check the lock-in period in particular, because the society’s own figures differ.
If you want to know what the parish council decided, the 8 September minutes should be published before or at the 13 October meeting. We will report the decision.
Sources
- Watlington Community Property, read 2 October 2026, for the pledge total, the £600,000 target, the three properties and their status, the society’s registration, the share terms and the founding members.
- Watlington Community Property public meeting presentation, 16 July 2026, for the July property prices, the five-year lock-in and the 51% OX49 membership rule.
- Watlington Parish Council meetings and minutes, for the 8 September 2026 agenda item on the society’s CIL funding proposal and the 13 October meeting date.
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