OXFORD restaurateur Clinton Pugh says he is puzzled by the latest delay over his plan to build homes on the site of one of his restaurants, which was costing him “a fortune”.

The Lemon Tree, in Woodstock Road, North Oxford, closed last August, and for the past two years Mr Pugh has been applying for planning permission to demolish it and build three three-storey, four-bedroom houses in its place.

In December, Mr Pugh, who owns the Café CoCo chain, expressed his frustration after councillors on the city’s north area committee rejected the plans for the fourth time.

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

Mr Pugh then submitted a revised application, addressing the concerns of the planning officers, which was due to be considered last week.

But the application was withdrawn at the last minute by officers, due to an alleged problem over a neighbouring property Mr Pugh owns. It will now be dealt with at a future date.

Oxford City Council spokesman Louisa Dean said: “The committee report on the planning application was withdrawn by officers in order to allow time for legal advice to be obtained.

“The legal advice is considered necessary in order that officers can advise the committee what weight, if any, should be attached to the fact that the applicant had purchased a neighbouring property and blocked up the windows facing the application site.

“It’s important that advice is obtained on whether this is a material consideration that may have a bearing on the officers’ recommendation and the council’s decision.”

Mr Pugh said: “I was told about three hours before the committee started that my application wasn’t going ahead, which I think is ridiculous.

“This is costing me a fortune, because the overheads on the site are very high – I have been paying £26,000-a-year business rate.”

He said he hoped the application would be dealt with at the earliest possible opportunity and added that he was now concentrating on his new venture, Café Tarifa, in Cowley Road, which he previously ran as the Oxford Organic Burger Company.

Mr Pugh confirmed he had bought the flat next door to the Lemon Tree but said it was a “red herring” and not crucial.

affrench@oxfordmail.co.uk