PLANS to knock down an old bungalow and build three houses in its place are being opposed by residents who say it would affect the appearance of a conservation area.

The bungalow, said to be built in the 1940s, is located off main road The Moors, in Kidlington, and sits behind a pair of semi-detached houses.

The site is part of the Church Street Conservation Area which means it should be preserved.

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Put forward by applicant, Mr Bright, to Cherwell District Council, the three-bedroom houses would have two storeys and each property would have two parking spaces.

But their modern design, which includes metal clad roofs and aluminium framed glazing, has sparked objections from residents who say the houses would be out of touch with the old architecture that is in the area.

Irina Bystron, a neuroscientist who lives nearby in Lambs Close, Kidlington, is against the plans, and wrote to council planning officers.

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She said: “The applicant has no respect to the history and architecture in the area. The revised proposal is detrimental to the amenity of the surrounding environment and community and should concern the Planning Committee.”

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She also says elderly residents who live in the area were not aware of the proposals or have not been able to express their objection such as her neighbour, 90-year-old June Hackney, whose garden is next to the proposed site.

She said: “Not many people know about the application and I feel really bad about it. It’s really unfair for them.”

Resident David Hopkins is also against the plans, saying the three houses will not fit in with the area.

He said: “The plot falls within a conversation area but the proposed design shows little sensitivity to this.

“The designs themselves and the type of materials used in the building, need to be in keeping with the existing buildings in the area and its conservation status.”

There are also concerns about the safety of accessing the site off the main road as residents say there is restricted visibility entering and leaving the driveway.

Kidlington resident, John Lowe, said: “Vehicular access to this site via the existing driveway is patently inadequate and will create a hazard, due to poor junction visibility, to road users and pedestrians alike.

“Access to these properties will also be difficult for emergency services and utility vehicles.”

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Kidlington Parish Council objects to the plan also citing the same problems that residents have expressed.

The application will not go to planning committee as the decision level is delegated, meaning it will be a planning officer decision. It is therefore not yet known when it will be approved or not. To view the application, go to the council’s online planning portal and search 20/01170/F.