Villagers win fight to save historic cottage
Milcombe villagers are celebrating after winning a planning battle against a controversial building scheme.
The campaigners had been fighting a plan to demolish an historic 17th Century cottage and nearby bungalow in order to build four large homes in their place in Paradise Lane.
Sisters Jane and Ruth Hester, who part-own the site, wanted to live in two of the houses, one to care for the other, but residents said the development was far too dense for the plot. They presented an 88-signature petition to Cherwell District Council’s planning committee last Thursday.
Cllr Barry Wood said the committee should listen to the ‘voice of the people’ and members voted by a large majority to overturn the officer’s recommendation and refuse the application.
Campaigner Richard Hazel, who lives next to the site, said: “Villagers are absolutely delighted at the significant majority vote to refuse this second application and we whole-heartedly commend the planning committee.
“Their decision restores one’s faith in such bodies not to just be a rubber-stamping exercise of recommendations put before them but to undertake a very logical, fact-based assessment and debate of the many planning issues that were at play here.
“Cllr Chris Heath, who sits on the planning committee, has been the epitome of the perfect local councillor and she did an absolutely outstanding job in representing the feelings of villagers.”
He added: “Milcombe is only a small village but it is a genuine community where you don’t find second homes.
“We are not against development, but want to ensure it is appropriate for wherever it may be located within the village.”
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Weather for Banbury
Tuesday 21 May 2013
Today
Light rain
Temperature: 8 C to 14 C
Wind Speed: 17 mph
Wind direction: North
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