Alex James pushes council to restore landscape near Cotswolds farm after shed refused

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Alex James pushes council to restore landscape near Cotswolds farm after shed refused

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The Blur musician has become involved in a local planning conflict concerning construction activity near his countryside property.

The bassist acquired a farm spanning 200 acres in the Oxfordshire region close to Kingham several years ago.

Opposition has been raised to development occurring adjacent to a nearby holiday park.

A formal petition has been initiated calling for the landscape to be reinstated to its original condition.

The disagreement follows the successful staging of a major food and music event at the farm over the late August Bank Holiday period, which attracted in excess of 20,000 attendees.

The entertainment lineup featured performances across numerous stages throughout the venue.

The current disagreement stems from a planning application that had previously been rejected.

The proposal involved a substantial maintenance structure intended for storing vehicles, groundskeeping equipment and domestic supplies.

West Oxfordshire District Council issued a refusal for retrospective permission during July.

Following the council’s decision, a campaign was launched urging members of the public to support efforts to preserve the outlook from the farm and ensure the landscape is returned to its previous state without additional construction.

Planning officials determined that the development would cause unacceptable damage to the surrounding rural environment.

The council’s official notice indicated that the proposal would fail to protect or improve the natural character, quality and visual appeal of the area and would result in inappropriate harm to the designated national landscape.

Evidence compiled by landscape specialists based in the Cotswolds was submitted as part of the objection.

The assessment argued that the structure would disrupt views across the horizon and would extend the holiday park into unprotected rural territory.

Representatives for the holiday park contested these assertions and voiced support for the planning proposal.

This represents an escalation of an existing dispute between the parties.

Two years earlier, objections were raised against proposals for twelve additional holiday units positioned near the farm boundary.

At that time, the structures were described as incongruous and unsuitable for the sensitive rural setting.

Support for those objections came from a horse racing professional and a commercial figure.

A warning was issued that permitting such development would contradict the principles governing the protected landscape and establish a precedent for comparable schemes.

Local members initially dismissed the expansion plans.

However, the national planning authority subsequently reversed that outcome through an appeal process, granting approval for the development to proceed the following year.

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