VILLAGERS at Shipton Gorge have won another round in their battle to halt a housing development they claimed would destroy the heart of their community.

A scheme by builders C G Fry and Son to replace a modern bungalow, The Fairings, in Chapel Street, with a terrace of three homes was thrown out by district council planners in March after massive local opposition.

Residents claimed it would rob them of a vital open space in the village centre.

Last week, after further consultation, Frys put forward a revised plan for two semi-detached houses and four garages on the site.

But again the council's development control west committee rejected it - judging it to be better, but still not good enough.

Principal area planning officer Gerald Hughes said there was less local opposition to the latest plan and it did seek to replace an "incongruous bungalow" with a form and design of buildings more akin to the historic pattern of development.

But he added: "The current scheme fails to provide a development that either preserves or enhances the area's character. In particular the formation of a new access and prominent provision for parking would detract from the street scene."

Coun Mark Parsons said it was a nice looking development but on the site proposed it would be "over development".

"What spoils it for me is the size of the garages," he added.

But Coun Roger Stoodley said the present bungalow had no character at all.

"This development is infinitely more suitable to the character of Shipton than that," he said, although adding that he was also concerned about the garages.

Coun Ron Coatsworth thought they were being hard on the developers. After the first refusal they had been told to talk to the locals and come up with a better scheme - which is what they had done. Now they were arguing the toss about it again and it was recommended for refusal. Reducing the height of the buildings could do the trick, he suggested.

Mr Hughes said just because residents liked the revised plan better than the first one it was not the "be all and end all" - unless they were considering moving to a system of consensual planning.

Given the chance, he said, their preferred option would be to retain the original bungalow.

The committee rejected the application by five votes to three.