THE future of a junior football pitch in South Oxfordshire could be finally be decided after a strenuous three-year battle.

The plans to build a three-storey block of flats on the field in Abingdon used by more than 50 young players emerged in 2018.

Having had its application rejected twice by Vale of the White Horse District Council, Abingdon Vale Cricket Club will now have its appeal heard by inspector Jonathan Manning next month.

The planning inspectorate confirmed the hearing will begin at 10am on Monday, March 8 – more than a year after the last official decision was made.

The cricket club, which operates at Hales Meadow on Culham Road, Abingdon, owns the land on Northcourt Lane.

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The original application, which sought planning permission for a block of two- and three-bedroom flats and a car park, was refused in February 2019 after a slew of objections, including from Government body Sport England.

The plan was also criticised for not including any 'affordable' social housing.

After chopping the number of flats to nine and ‘significantly reducing’ the size of the second floor, as well as the overall footprint, the plan still received backlash and permission was refused in the summer.

More than 50 Abingdon residents raised fears over increased traffic on the narrow Northcourt Lane and the land being in a conservation area, which is sometimes a victim to flooding.

The site is located in Flood Zone 1 and as such has the lowest probability of flooding.

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However, local mapping identifies parts of the area to be susceptible to flooding from heavy rain.

There are also concerns over the ‘inappropriate’ character of the plans for the suburban area and the loss of the football pitch.

Explaining the decision, the Vale council's planning officer Martin Deans said: “In my view, a three-storey apartment building is entirely at odds with the prevailing character, grain, scale and massing of the surrounding buildings.

“Sited on an open playing field, as already discussed earlier in the report when considering heritage matters, the proposed building does not respect the historic character of the area.

“The scheme takes on a highly urbanised and contemporary form, which to my mind, does not respond to the context of surrounding neighbouring dwellings, which are of a much smaller scale and less formalised layout.

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“There are no other -storey buildings in the vicinity and the bulk and massing of the scheme will result in a building which is entirely out of place and erode the ‘hamlet’ character entirely.”

Mr Deans also pointed out that the building would result in the ‘unacceptable erosion’ of an important key open space within the Northcourt Conservation Area.

Paul Wenman, one of the campaigners , said residents have grown ‘angry and frustrated’ as the battle had dragged on.

He urged residents who oppose the proposal to join the online appeal and make their voices heard.

See the plans at whitehorsedc.gov.uk using reference P19/V1322/O