A developer has had a second set of plans for flats near a nature reserve in Headington, Oxford, turned down.

Members of Oxford City Council's north east area planning committee voted unanimously against proposals for 27 flats at Spring Lane, near Shotover Mound nature reserve, Headington Quarry. The plans were submitted by J Atiyah.

The same firm has appealed to the Government over a similar scheme for 18 flats on the same site. The plan was was rejected by the committee in July last year.

The plans, which included new access to the site and 27 car parking spaces, were opposed by nearby residents, who feared they would cause traffic problems and overload the sewerage system.

One of the reasons cited when the first plan was rejected was that the extra homes might threaten rare long-eared owls on the reserve.

A public inquiry will be held in March, and the results of that may influence whether there will be an appeal against Tuesday's decision.

Huw Mellor, spokesman for Kemp and Kemp Property Consultants, the agent acting for J Atiyah, said: "My first impression was that the 18 flats were an underdevelopment of the site. The 27 flats leave 500 square metres of land free, which is an enormous amount of open space."