Oxford entrepreneur Clinton Pugh is renewing his bid to build housing on the site of the former Lemon Tree restaurant in North Oxford.

For the past two years, Mr Pugh has been applying for planning permission to demolish the well-known Woodstock Road restaurant, which closed in August, and build four three-storey houses in its place.

In December, he expressed his frustration after councillors sitting on the city council’s north area committee rejected the plans for a fourth time.

Officers recommended the scheme should be refused because of the “size, width, height and bulk” of the building nearest to Woodstock Road.

Now, Mr Pugh, who also owns a group of cafes in central and East Oxford, has appealed against the council’s decision to a Government planning inspector.

He has also submitted a separate, revised application, which he believes will address the concerns of officers and councillors.

He said: “I am hopeful the revised application will address the concerns of planning officers this time round. I have been very busy trying to sort this out at a time when trading conditions are not easy.

“I have heard people say Oxford is one of the least likely cities to be affected by the recession, but you can see that some businesses are struggling, with a number of pubs going under.”

In December, Mr Pugh sold off equipment at The Lemon Tree, with more or less everything up for grabs — including crockery, paintings and the kitchen sink.

Mr Pugh said at the time he would consider reopening the restaurant as a music venue, but said: “The Lemon Tree will remain closed for the time being because I need to concentrate on my other businesses, including the new Café Coco in Park End Street.”

City councillor Jean Fooks, who represents North Oxford for the Liberal Democrats, said: “It would be nice to have a development on the site, so I hope we will see an application we can approve of, with buildings that are less dominant facing Woodstock Road.”

The new application is likely to be considered by the north area committee at a future date, unless the matter is referred to the council’s high-level strategic development control committee.

The Lemon Tree first opened in 1995 and soon became one of Oxford’s most popular restaurants. In 2000, it was taken over and became La Gousse D’Ail.

In 2003, Mr Pugh bought back the business and reopened it as the Lemon Tree.

affrench@oxfordmail.co.uk