RESIDENTS applauded their councillors’ decision to turn down two applications for almost 400 homes in East Hanney at last night’s planning meeting.

Objectors spilled out of the doors as they listened to Vale of White Horse district councillors refuse an application for 197 properties on land south of Summertown.

The application sought to build the dwellings, 79 of which were affordable, on an 8.2 hectare greenfield area, which is also identified as a potential strategic housing site in the emerging local plan.

After six councillors voted in favour of refusal, planning officer Brett Leahy asked councillors their reasons in case it went to an appeal.

He said: “I need to make it clear to members as your manager, any decision you make you are obviously aware of how the debate has gone.”

The application was refused because of a lack of a signed section 106 agreement in place and the development had too great a density.

Councillors were on a rejecting roll as less than an hour later an application for 200 homes to land south of Steventon Road in East Hanney was also dismissed.

Committee members refused the application again for the lack of a signed section 106 agreement and the harm it would cause to the Conservation Area.

Objector and East Hanney resident Jacqueline Price said: “We were delighted with both decisions last night. A lot of people have worked long and hard in opposing these applications for over a year.

“We have already had a lot of development recently with 198 new builds already and now they are asking for another 400. It feels like East Hanney is being picked on.

“Our main issue is that originally they proposed 200 homes in the east and then for some strange reason in the local plan the east application was removed and the south plan put in without consultation of the residents. We do not want 400 homes here, we have already done our bit.”