The curtains have closed on a bid to build 257 homes on Reading Golf Course as developers have withdrawn an appeal.

Earlier this year, developers Fairfax lodged an appeal against Reading Borough Council’s planning committee refusal of permission to build the homes in July last year.

At the time, councillors judged the 257 home development would be an unacceptable loss of green space, constitute overdevelopment and cause unacceptable traffic congestion.

The developers subsequently launched an appeal against the decision.

But now Fairfax and its partners Reading Golf Club have dropped the appeal just prior to it being considered by the Government’s planning inspectorate.

READ MORE: Hugely unpopular Reading Golf Course plans refused 

All planning appeals are decided by the inspectorate, which falls within the  Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.

The appeal against the refusal of the 257 home scheme was withdrawn shortly after the deadline for evidence for an inquiry was reached on Friday, May 20.

It is thought the appeal has been dropped as Fairfax and Reading Golf Club won approval to build 223 homes on the former golf course this March.

The second plan was recommended for approval by council planning officer Matt Burns, who argued the reduction of homes and other adjustments would be acceptable.

Ultimately, it was approved by all Labour councillors present, with three opposition councillors voting against it and cllr Simon Robinson (Conservative, Peppard) abstaining.

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For a while, there was the prospect that the developers could ‘have their pick’ of which plan to implement if the appeal had been successful.

However, that is no longer a risk.

The plan was opposed by the Keep Emmer Green campaign group, which staged a protest outside the council offices when the plan was decided on Wednesday, March 2.