The plan, submitted by McCarthy and Stone Retirement, was for 44 flats on land at Crab Hill north of the A417 and east of the A338.
The development would have come with communal facilities and car parking to serve the site which is part of the 1,500-home Crab Hill scheme.
It was refused by Vale of White Horse District Council planning officers over the developer’s lack of financial contributions.
The plans were controversial with 24 letters of objection, including from Wantage Town Council.
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CGI view of proposed communal courtyard. (Image: Vale of White Horse District Council.) Many people were left unhappy because they said the land had been allocated to be used for a new pub.
An appeal hearing was held earlier this year, in which the council and the developer put their cases forward to a planning inspector.
In his closing submission Robert Walton KC, on behalf of the developer, said: “Perhaps the best place to start to unravel the jumbled threads of the council’s chaotic case is this simple point: it is the council’s resolved position that if the appellant was to make a payment of £1,180,154 towards off-site affordable housing (in addition to the agreed requirement for £96,573.30 to other s.106 obligations) then the scheme should be approved.
“The appellant therefore respectfully ask the Inspector to allow the appeal and grant planning permission for the appeal scheme.”
Emmaline Lambert, on behalf of the district council, said: “Given the failures in transparency, the viability assessment is not credible and cannot justify a lower sum.
“The planning system and the public interest should not be forced to compromise where developers fail to comply with professional guidance, the PPG and Development Plan policy in being truly open book.
“The inspector is invited to dismiss the appeal.”
During the hearing, Wantage Town Council reiterated its opposition to the scheme. They said: “The appeal site was designated as a public house in the approved masterplan for the Crab Hill development.
“This allocation was included to provide a vital community facility for the area’s residents, aligning with the principles of sustainable development and community building as outlined in paragraph 83 of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF).
“The applicant’s argument that a pub is not viable ignores the strategic intent of the masterplan to create a balanced and inclusive community. Allowing this appeal would permanently foreclose the opportunity for the site to fulfil its originally intended purpose.
“For these reasons, Wantage Town Council respectfully urges the planning inspectorate to dismiss this appeal and uphold the original decision to refuse planning permission.”
The planning inspector will make a decision on the appeal in the coming months.