CAMPAIGNERS against the leisure village scheme in Oxford were celebrating the ruling by the Secretary of State.

Huge opposition was voiced by organisations including Oxford Green Party, the Council for the Protection of Rural England and various city councillors.

Valerie Davis, chairman of St Ebbe's New Development Residents' Association - set up to voice opinions on planning issues - said: "This is a great result for Oxford.

"Our association considers that the arguments we presented at the inquiry, supported by numerous other organisations and individuals, were well-founded and powerful."

She added: "We are naturally delighted. Let us hope that wiser counsels will now prevail and that the city council will set about developing the Oxpens question as a coherent whole."

But campaigners did not rule out the idea of a new cinema and leisure complex in future. City planning committee chairman Maureen Christian said: "Naturally we welcome the decision but it has quite serious implications for the council.

"We will have to look again at the whole design of the site. It was a vindication of the planning committee's views that it was a poor design for this site."

Labour councillor John Tanner also welcomed the decision but added: "I hope a similar but smaller scheme can go ahead on the site." Resident Albert Holdaway, of nearby Trinity Street, said: "Let's hope the next suggestion for the development of that site is a bit more sensible. There was no-one here who supported it."

Campaigners against the plans claimed the design was too "shed-like" and would be an eyesore for generations.

Concerns were also raised about levels of traffic and noise and that the development would kill the city centre.

It was also argued the area should be used for sports and recreation facilities.

But on the other side of the argument, more than 750 residents living near the site signed a petition in 1996 saying they wanted to see the complex built.

At the time, petition organiser Lara Hartley, of Preachers Lane, St Ebbe's, said: "People living in the area really want the complex built. It will bring jobs and bored children will have somewhere to go."

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