Brewers Morland have won permission for a pub on a housing estate - much to the dismay of many residents who set up a company to run their own.

When work first started on Witney's Deer Park estate more than ten years ago, part of the land was earmarked for a pub but no brewery was interested in it.

More than three years ago, residents formed their own company called Community Pub plc.

The company had planning permission for a pub and raised most of the money needed to start work on it. Earlier this year Abingdon-based Morland submitted plans for a family-style pub. In July members of West Oxfordshire District Council deferred reaching a decision on the proposals so they could visit the site.

Councillors have now agreed to grant permission for the pub. Planning officer Phil Shaw said: "It is recognised that the proposal by Morland is the subject of substantial opposition, much of this raising unfavourable comparisons with the Community Pub.

"However, Morland's proposal fulfils the terms of the planning brief for the site equally well in that it will serve the wide community of west Witney and be a family based-pub including a restaurant and play area." Cllr Derrick Millard said: "Whether we like it or not it is a changing world in the brewing industry and there are more of these style of pubs.

"I am concerned that if we refuse permission on what grounds we can do so."

Barry Beadle, operations director of Community Pub plc, said: "We are obviously very disappointed and will be considering what to do next. Since Morland put in the applications they have been taken over by Greene King so we have no idea if this will make any difference.

"We will be calling a meeting of our shareholders and getting feedback off the estate as to what we should do next."

Story date: Thursday 21 October

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.