The sea of green at a planning committee meeting tonight leapt from their seats after the district council unanimously refused a planning application for 170 homes in East Hagbourne.

Hundreds of residents from Didcot and East Hagbourne packed out Didcot Civic Hall as the planning committee at South Oxfordshire District Council refused the application against the officer's recommendations.

With tears in his eyes and wearing a bright green fleece, Andy Barmer, chairman of campaign group Mind the Gap, said he was "emotional" after the announcement.

The East Hagbourne resident said: "What a result.

"It just goes to show you what you can do when you give local people a voice."

Marcus Wood, resident of East Hagbourne, added: "It was a stunning result.

"What was so important was that you had Didcot Town Council, East Hagbourne Parish Council, Didcot and East Hagbourne residents came together to show how important this piece of land was."

The application, put forward by Grainger PLC would have seen 170 houses be developed on land which was east of New Road.

Councillors, residents and campaigners' major concerns were coalescence of Didcot and East Hagbourne.