A DEVELOPER has been sent back to the drawing board after its bid to build six homes in Lechlade was turned down.

Councillors said Jamie Orton’s application to build in Burford Road constituted “over-development” of the 0.4 acre site.

Planning officers recommended that Cotswold District Council’s planning committee pass the application, but councillors Sue Coakley and Stephen Andrews expressed reservations.

They said the scheme would end up with six cramped houses, grouped into two rows of three, occupying a space suitable for for three or four houses.

Cllr Andrews said: “I believe it's important that any development should fit with the housing density in the area the development is taking place if it is not to impact upon the area.”

The site is currently home to a detached bungalow.

Plans included two parking spaces and a garden for each house, but the councillors said the ‘excessively’ dense site would be a blot on the street.

No affordable homes were included in the plans due to a recent Government ruling which said no development made up of less than 10 homes was obliged to provide budget homes.

There was unanimous opposition among the committee.

“This is not us saying we don’t want additional housing, there’s no resistance to that, but we need to make sure it’s in the community’s interest,” Cllr Coakley said.

“It needs to be developed appropriately and sensitively.

“In this case there is no social, economic or environmental benefit from the application.”

Twelve voted to oppose the application and one abstained.