Plans to build seven new homes in an Oxfordshire town have been refused despite the applicant describing the existing land as "poor" and "unsightly".

Developer Axiom Planning has had its plans thwarted to introduce the seven homes on land at Kennel Lane in Chipping Norton.

Proposals had also included details of informal car parking for the 0.65 hectare site.

READ MORE: Oxford’s South Park descended on by caravans and travellers

In a planning paper, Axiom Planning had said: "All of the land identified for housing development is either existing residential garden or areas which are ancillary to the existing dwellings, most notably informal car parking.

Kennels Way homes site plan.Kennels Way homes site plan. (Image: West Oxfordshire District Council.)

"A lot of the site is currently in a poor state visually and is considered unsightly.

"The development will provide an opportunity to rejuvenate this area."

But the plans were refused on August 7 last week by council development manager Abby Fettes.

Chipping Norton.Chipping Norton. (Image: Newsquest)

The council said, in its reason for refusal: "The provision of up to seven new dwellings on this site would appear overly cramped and would result in an overdevelopment, intensification and transformative urbanisation of the land to the detriment of the semi-rural, low key character and appearance of the area, the wider protected Cotswold National Landscape and the setting of the town.

"The adverse impacts of granting planning permission with regard to the impact on the protected landscape, and the character, appearance and setting of the area and wider town would significantly and demonstrably outweigh the benefits."

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About the author

Noor is the Local Democracy Reporter for Oxfordshire who covers political stories from across the county. 

She began working as a journalist in Oxford in September 2023 having graduated from the University of Oxford.

Noor was trained at the News Associates journalism school and can be found on X through the handle @NoorJQurashi