Villagers oppose home designed like an "alien spaceship" (From The Oxford Times)

Villagers oppose home designed like an "alien spaceship"

3:00pm Thursday 14th July 2011 in News By Maggie Hartford, covering business and Books Editor. Call me on 01865 425461

Opponents of the plan, include, front, from left, David Palmer, Abigail Boisot with 16-month-old Maisie Butcher, Matthew Butcher, and, behind, members of Save Wincote Action Group.

PLANS to partially demolish an old stone house and replace it with a “contemporary” building using glass and timber have upset villagers.

The house, named Wincote, was built in Steeple Aston, near Bicester, in 1840.

Now plans have been submitted to extend the house, with a bold design by architect Henry Squire.

Mr Squire, whose family has owned Wincote since the 1970s, said: “We have put an enormous amount of love and care into drawing up these plans.”

But villager David Palmer opposes the scehme and has set up a Save Wincote group.

Mr Palmer lived in the house as a tenant before moving to another home in the village.

He said: “It’s a quiet village full of stone cottages. This design is like an alien spaceship.”

Abigail Boisot moved in next door to Wincote only a week before the planning notice appeared on a post outside the property. She said: “We are in a state of shock. Our searches hadn’t shown anything. This building would be gargantuan.”

She added: “We would have a 12-place car park outside our window and our garden would overlook the back of their house instead of orchards.”

Mr Squire, a director of Squire and Partners, responsible for the controversial Chelsea Barracks redevelopment in London, said the building would be a six-bedroom family home. He said the car park was included to avoid parking in the lane.

He said he was aware of the concerns and would come back with revised ideas, but insisted any new plans would “have a contemporary feel”.

Previous occupants of the existing four-bedroom house include the Marquess of Blandford and broadcaster Anne Robinson.

l A public meeting about the plans is being held at Steeple Aston village hall on Tuesday at 7.30pm.