Plans to build 72 homes off Redland Road and Hilltop Drive in Oakham are turned down

Plans for 72 new homes on the outskirts of a town have failed to win planning approval.

Rutland County Council has rejected the proposal for land off Hilltop Drive and Redland Road in Oakham.

G S Developments wanted to turn the 3.47 hectare grassland into a 72-plot housing estate, but the council described it as “an unwarranted intrusion into the countryside”.

Dozens of residents had contacted the council with objections to the scheme.

Planning permission was refused because the site is outside the planned limits of development for Oakham and the homes would have an “overbearing and detrimental impact” on neighbouring properties. Council officers were also concerned about a shortage of parking and whether the access point would be safe.

The applicants can lodge an appeal against the decision within six months.