CONGRATULATIONS to the people of South Oxford for seeing off Tesco’s plan for a supermarket on the former Fox and Hounds pub site in Abingdon Road.
However, Councillor Oscar Van Nooijen raises a point that now becomes more pressing: the place is a tip. It is four years since the pub closed on what is a busy and prominent corner.
Since then it has gone to rack and ruin through a combination of the ravages of time and a fire.
Let’s be frank: it is a blight on that part of the city and it is disgraceful how it has been left.
While Tesco was putting in its applications and appeals, it could perhaps argue for some leeway in tidying up the area, as it was trying to progress towards building something on the site.
But now with this rebuff from a planning inspector, it seems unlikely Tesco will try again for a supermarket and so the Fox and Hounds may slide down its list of priorities to spend money on.
That simply cannot be allowed to stand for any length of time.
Oxford City Council has used powers in the past to seize private homes in a similar state so hopefully it will be able to step in within a few months if Tesco proves to be less than motivated to sort out its mess.
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