INSPECTORS have dismissed an appeal against Cotswold District Council's (CDC) decision to reject a controversial plan to build seven homes on a field in Stratton.

Developer W Risby Ltd were ordered to remove diggers and a temporary building from the site last year as planning permission had not been granted for the temporary building.

In May, CDC officers considered the proposal to be detrimental to “land which makes a positive contribution and appearance of the village and North Cirencester Special Landscape Area”.

Inspector Andrew Dawe, who considered the appeal, dismissed the case on October 24 on similar grounds, that the development "would cause unacceptable harm to the character and appearance of the surrounding area".

Mr Dawe also ruled that developers would not be able to claim costs for the appeal.

He wrote: "I find that the council (CDC) and EA have not behaved unreasonably in terms of their submissions at the appeal stage relating to flood risk and that, therefore, the applicant's costs in pursuing the appeal were not unnecessarily incurred or wasted.

"For this reason, and having regard to all other matters raised, neither a full or partial award of costs is justified."