RESIDENTS in Stow have been given renewed hope that a controversial planning application for housing may be kicked out.

Bovis Homes had applied to Cotswold District Council with an outline plan for 146 houses on land to the east of Griffin Close, near Oddington Road.

When the application was first made, Cotswolds MP Geoffrey Clifton-Brown wrote to Sir Mike Pitt, the chief executive of the planning inspectorate, the first time he had formally objected to a planning application since he was elected in 1992.

Bovis Homes appealed to the Government on grounds of non-determination - that CDC had not made a decision within eight weeks.

The company also said there were not enough new homes being built in the district.

That appeal started in April but Mr Clifton-Brown wrote to parliamentary under-secretary of state for planning Nick Boles at the end of last month asking that he call in the Bovis Home application.

Mr Boles has replied saying he will do so as CDC has announced it can demonstrate a five-year housing supply.

The fact that the planning minister has confirmed that CDC has met its five year land supply should help considerably in the fight to reject this application,” said Mr Clifton-Brown.

“I am delighted that the Minister has decided to call this application in and I hope it will result in the application being rejected.

Welcoming this news, CDC Leader Cllr Lynden Stowe said: “This housing development would not be welcome in Stow and we will try our hardest to stop it happening, armed with our latest land supply figures.

“We owe it to residents to fight their corner and we very much hope that we will win the argument.”

The planning inspector will make a recommendation but the final decision will lie with Mr Boles.