A ‘harmful’ plan to build homes in Churchill has been torn up by a Government inspector after villagers complained it would ‘spoil the character of the village’.

An application to build eight homes in Front Street was rejected by North Somerset Council back in 2016.

The plan was rejected on appeal by the Government’s planning inspectorate in August 2017.

Applicant Zena Bishop resubmitted the plan to the council in January 2018 with the number of houses amended to six.

Rejecting the amended plan, the council said it would cause ‘harm to the rural setting and boundaries of the village’.

Ms Bishop appealed the decision again in November insisting the homes would ‘contribute to the appearance of the area and North Somerset’s overall housing needs’.

Villagers urged the council to ‘protect the beauty of the village’ by continuing to object to the plans and they were rejected by the inspector again last month.