Controversial plan for part-underground home in Banburyshire has been withdrawn

The plan involved living accommodation built below ground level with a garage and utility rooms above. The site - at the end of the Orchard Piece cul de sac - was an orchard that had been part of Old Farmhouse in Mollington's conservation area.

Previous applications for residential development on the land had been refused by Cherwell District Council.

A number of householders living near to the site came out against the plan saying the narrow cul de sac - the only possible access - could not take any more traffic and would be inadequate for constructon traffic. Some claimed the access had been created when a hedge was ripped out without consent. It was later given approval as access only for agricultural vehicles and pedestrians, they said.

Mollington Parish Council told the planning department at Cherwell District Council it could not make its customary comment on the scheme as various pieces of information had not been supplied with the application by Kathy North.

The parish council took issue with statements about trees on the site and a nearby watercourse. It also felt an up-to-date ecological survey should be produced to gauge the presence of protected species. And parish councillors felt they needed to see details of sewage disposal plans. Advice about the relocation of the access entrance did not appear to be included in the plans, they said.

"A number of omissions and erroneous points... need to be resolved before proper consideration can be given," the parish council said in its submission.

A resident of Orchard Piece described the withdrawal of the plan as 'brillliant news'. The householder said they believed the plan was going to be refused on the same grounds as before, with reference to the Cherwell Plan and the village's conservation area.

The householder said it was unknown whether a new plan would be submitted.