A SEVENTEENTH century cottage reduced to rubble earlier this year is to be rebuilt.

The Old Forge cottage Durley was razed when permission had only been given to build an extension onto it.

The move caused outrage in the village where the thatched cottage had become a local beauty spot and had even featured in the village millennium calendar.

During a heated debate that saw English Heritage branded "villains" for not listing the building, Winchester planners gave their approval for the cottage to be rebuilt in the image of the original building.

The applicant Mr Doswell - who was accused of being arrogant - by council members had insisted the cottage fell down as it wasn't strong enough to take the extension and had to be demolished on safety grounds.

The application approved this week was to rebuild the cottage exactly as it would have looked with the extension in place, retaining the quaint appearance of the building.

But some members of the planning committee were angered by the new plans.

Georgina Busher said: "This was obviously their intention from the start and I don't think we should be party to it."

She said the Doswells had had the building knocked down "in order to get their own way" and added: "That was arrogance and nothing on the face of the earth is going to make me support what they do.

"If they want to put up this horrible pastiche, let them fight it at appeal."

Cecily Sutton said more and more developers were carrying out work before seeking "retrospective permission".

Richard Knasel, who represents Durley on the city council, blamed English Heritage for not making more efforts to preserve the building.

"I don't necessarily see the applicant so much a villain as English Heritage," he said. "If the cottage had been listed we wouldn't be facing this. It's given the developers the opportunity to stick their noses up at this committee and demolish the cottage."

Ian Tait, Tory planning committee member, provoked further anger by accusing some planners of being "vindictive".

He said: "Some councillors here want to oppose this for the sake of opposing it and that's not the purpose of this committee. We have to be careful we don't use this as a forum to slate the applicant."

Eventually permission was given for the applicants to reconstruct the cottage, provided they stay close to the original.