Crowmarsh Gifford villagers celebrate as second building application for village is turned down (From The Oxford Times)

Crowmarsh Gifford villagers celebrate as second building application for village is turned down

3:28pm Tuesday 30th June 2009 in

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FAMILIES are celebrating after plans to build 210 homes in their village were thrown out by planners for the second time.

Last week, South Oxfordshire District Council refused permission for Bloor Homes and Hallam Land Management to build homes at Crowmarsh Gifford, which residents claimed would have destroyed the character of their village.

It was the third application submitted by Bloor Homes and Hallam Land Management for the field behind The Street and Benson Lane.

The second application for 420 homes was refused by planners in December. Before that, a planned development of 200 homes was withdrawn.

The firm will appeal the 420 home application in November and is expected to appeal this most recent decision too.

Resident Nick Robins, 60, of Benson Lane, was a member of campaign group Crowmarsh Residents’ Action Group (CRAG) which vehemently opposed the plans. He said: “We are delighted. It was unanimously rejected by the planning committee and about 80 villagers turned up to the meeting. There were huge cheers when it was rejected. We are worried about the appeal because before the village could lobby the local planning committee but the appeal decision is down to the planning inspector.”

Stephen Beatty, 42, of Benson Lane, said: “Everyone is happy but we are not celebrating too much because they are just going to keep on coming back with other applications. The council has sent a clear message to them and the residents have sent a clear message to them. We will not retreat, we will not surrender.”

Brian Spragg, 59, of Lane End, said: “We have always thought it will go to appeal. We are starting to plan for the appeal in November. One issue is the groundwater flood risk and we are going to continue to collect evidence.”

Planning committee members said the proposed development was on a greenfield site not allocated for development in the council’s long-term plan for the district and it failed to provide affordable homes.

They also said it failed to secure provision for necessary infrastructure to meet the needs of the growing population.

Wallingford Town Council opposed the development too, saying it would increase traffic over the bridge and air quality problems in High Street and would cause the village to lose its identity. Town councillor Imran Lokhon said: “The infrastructure links between Crowmarsh and Wallingford could not cope with this development.” No one from Bloor Homes or Hallam Land Management was available for comment.