Plans withdrawn but 'war' goes on

Plans to build four homes around a cottage just off Worksop Road in Aston were submitted last July.

People living close to the site have been fighting the proposals since and said they now fear the applicants will submit a further application.

Neighbour Carl Plummer said: “We have won the battle but not the war. It’s going to be a long old war because the applicants have already put a lot of money into it so I can’t see them giving up.

“I think the reason they have withdrawn is because they didn’t want it to be refused and they’ll be submitting an amended application.”

A separate planning application to fell 11 standing trees and the remains of two fallen trees on the site has also been submitted.

Mr Plummer said: “The sole purpose of this application is to ensure an extremely narrow road can be built to gain access to the land beyond the gorgeous property.

“The trees are fruit trees and over the five years we have been here they have born fruit every year.

“The applicants have obviously spent a fair bit of money to get all of this together and I think they have got to a point where there are going to try and carry on at all costs.

“I think what they are hoping is that they get permission to fell the trees and then they can submit a new application for the homes with a different ecology report.”

The cottage was originally due to be bulldozed by developers before owner Jennifer Brittain amended the plans.

Rotherham Borough Council said the application was withdrawn on April 29.

Mr Plummer said: “It’s still all up in the air. I don’t think them withdrawing the original application is the end of it.

“A lot of people really don’t want it to happen and are really concerned about it.”

More than 300 people signed a petition opposing the plans in just three days after Mr Plummer began his campaign when the application was submitted last year.