HOMES will officially be built on the site of the Full Moon pub in Wotton after the developers won an appeal against Stroud District Council.

The win on May 22 officially seals the fate of the community pub which will now be demolished by Woodbourne Homes Limited to build 10 houses.

In November last year SDC ruled to accept the loss of the pub and the principle of residential development but refused the housing scheme as it stood to protect the surrounding trees and encouraging a re-design.

The debate over these plans has stretched to almost three years, with several delays from SDC’s development control committee.

One of these delays fell after an 11-th hour business plan was submitted last August by the Synwell Community Action Group (SCAG) who proposed to run the pub themselves, however this was judged not to be robust enough and did not stand up to scrutiny.

Chairman of the developers Woodbourne Homes, Kappa Dulay, said: “It has been a long battle with the council nearly 3 years in total, whom on numerous occasions deferred there decision.

“It’s a waste of government resources that the planning inspectorate had to be bought In to make the decision,but now we can get on with providing the locals much needed housing.”

The Planning Inspectorate, on behalf of the secretary of state for communities and local government stated that the proposal would not result in material harm to the character or appearance of the surrounding area.

Speaking of the loss of the Full Moon, it stated: “A number of local residents object to the loss of the public house, which they regard as a valued community facility.

“However, the appellants have provided evidence to show that the pub is no longer viable, a conclusion backed by the independent appraisal commissioned by the council.

“There are also alternative nearby public houses to serve local people.”

The inspectorate’s appeal report stated that residents had grievances about losing further parking in the area, many of which are forced to use the pub car park.

However, it said: “There are no rights for residents to use the car park, and it cannot be relied upon to perform such a function.”

At the development control meeting in November, speaking on behalf of the residents in Synwell, Kevin Mann stated: “This community is crying out for a pub that they can call their own.”

He raised the public’s grievances over the potential loss of trees on the site, a point Cllr John Marjoram emphasised on behalf of the committee.

Two of the three trees concerned will remain due to protection by a Tree Preservation Order, a silver birch and copper beech, but the council has no objection to the loss of the unprotected third tree.