Estate agent loses appeal bid to take over flat as office (From The Oxford Times)

Estate agent loses appeal bid to take over flat as office

7:00am Tuesday 2nd October 2012 in News

AN estate agent has lost a bid to turn a flat over one of its branches into offices after warning it could quit unless it got the go-ahead.

Andrews Estate Agents was denied permission by Oxford City Council last year over concerns the plan would remove vital housing.

The firm appealed to the independent Planning Inspectorate which has now upheld the council’s decision, for the London Road branch.

The company wanted to change the official use of the one-bedroom flat to office use.

Planning consultant John Sneddon, for Andrews, told the inspectorate: “I am bringing the problem of a business looking to employ additional people. I am asking that this business, with no other options other than to leave this desirable location, needs are balanced against the problems that exist in housing in the district.”

But the inspectorate said the firm provided “little convincing evidence” to support the warning that it would quit.

Andrews declined to comment when contacted by the Oxford Mail.