A TEMPORARY reprieve has been granted to residents of Hyde in Winchester who are trying to prevent their local shop being turned into new homes.

Developers had hoped to turn the former post office in Egbert Road into three new dwellings, comprising two two-bedroom flats and one one-bedroom flat.

However, the plans have upset local people who not only wanted their local store to remain a shop, but were also concerned over plans to rip up a mature magnolia tree in the shop's grounds.

The controversy started after the long-term owners of the shop retired in April last year.

The shop was re-marketed but attracted no interest and after local residents also failed to find a use or buyer, developers were called in to see if it could be converted to flats.

Their application to Winchester City Council's planning and development control panel last week would have seen the main building turned into two flats, while the garage was converted and extended to form a further one-bedroom home. Speaking against the application on behalf of the residents of Hyde, Amanda Hodges of Egbert Road said that though people were not happy about losing their local store, they accepted the main building was likely to become new housing.

But, she said, what they did object to was the conversion of the garage, which was not in keeping with the local conservation area, would involve the loss of a mature magnolia tree, and would infringe on the views and light reaching neighbouring properties.

Councillor Dominic Hiscock, who was not on the planning committee but attended as local ward councillor, added that he felt allowing the application would set a "difficult precedent in allowing people to turn their garages into homes''.

Councillors on the panel accepted the arguments and deferred a decision on the application to allow the developers, Llanbray Ltd, to redesign their plans without the garage development.