PLANS to build homes on a beer garden behind a Littlemore pub have been changed after a series of objections from locals and officials.

Proposals for eight homes to the rear of the George Inn, Littlemore, were met with huge amounts of backlash from locals when mooted last year.

One nearby resident even described the plans, which would replace a large overflow car park and beer garden behind the George, as ‘the end of the pub’.

However, according to a design and access statement submitted alongside the new plans, the changes to the site have been made as a result of comments from an urban designer at the city council.

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The council was worried about the large central parking area for cars, and the height and arrangement of the new buildings.

In response to these concerns, the developers behind the scheme have made changes to it, reducing the number of new buildings to seven.

There would now be six homes alongside two flats within one building if the proposals went ahead.

A central area where all the cars associated with the new homes would be parked has been removed in favour of smaller parking areas scattered throughout the development.

And a new ‘village green’ area has been designed to sit in the centre of the homes instead.

The new layout of the planned homes behind the George Inn, Littlemore, including a ‘village green’ at the centre. Picture: via Oxford City Council

However, while an older version of the plans had seven parking spaces allocated for the nearby pub, the new plan has reduced this to six instead.

Before changes were made to the plans in January, Littlemore residents had sent a steady stream of objecting letters to Oxford City Council, which is dealing with the planning application.

Stephen Edmunds, of Mandelbrot Drive said: “The George Inn public house is at the centre of the Littlemore community and has been for a very long time. The current planning application if granted would almost see the end of the pub at a time when so many are closing for many reasons.”

Lee Hiles of Peregrine Road, Cowley was worried about the impact on a listed building next door to the George, if building work goes ahead.

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His letter said: “The worry is the heavy trucks and deliveries will damage the existing listed building, also the pub is a hub for all locals and does a great deal of charity work which will have to end if planning is given the go ahead.

“Also the access is not good enough you will have cars driving passed the pub and onto the pavement to get to the road and there is too many blind spots, it’s an accident waiting to happen.”

Prior to these letters of objection there had been a petition from Littlemore locals calling for the plans to be scrapped.

Planning reference: 20/00934/FUL

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