An earlier appeal for 44 homes had been approved nearby

An inspector has rejected plans for up to five homes on the edge of a village due to the “limited scale” of the proposal.

Over Parish Council raised no objections to the plans off Station Road – but South Cambridgeshire District Council refused them for lying outside the Over “development framework”, or area inside the village that’s been earmarked for development.

A supporting statement prepared by KWA Architects on behalf of applicant Chris Whistler, claimed the council couldn’t show a five year housing supply – but they disputed this. Mr Whistler appealed their decision to the Planning Inspectorate, arguing that additional housing in Cambridgeshire “where high growth is forecast over the next few years, is absolutely necessary to meet need”.

He said the plots could also be sold as “self-build units” of which there is currently a shortfall. Inspector E Brownless said they interpreted the application as permission for “a minimum of one” and “maximum of five” homes.

Visiting the site on January 19, they said west of Station Road is “open and predominantly undeveloped” while the other side has clusters of buildings with a “noticeably stronger sense of enclosure and urban influence”.

But they said the two sides don’t share a “consistent character or pattern of development” and the site “makes a significant positive contribution to the rural character and appearance of the area”.

Building there “would unacceptably harm the prevailing spacious verdant character of the area,” they said.

Mr Whistler and KWA argued that appeals had been granted nearby in the past, despite falling outside the Over village limits.

In 2021, a plan for 44 homes off New Road submitted by Abbey Properties was approved on appeal after being refused by the council.

But inspector Brownless thought this was “of limited relevance”, as public views of this area “would be restricted by existing screening and the enclosure of the site”.

They said the plan for a maximum of five homes was not dense enough and would be, at most, three times less than the requirement for villages such as Over and “an inefficient use of the land”.

The applicant said the site had been “disused scrubland” for around 20 years, but the inspector was concerned about the “irreversible loss” of the “most versatile agricultural land”. The council argues the land is rated as good quality for farming, but this is disputed by Mr Whistler.

Inspector Brownless agreed that there was a “significant shortfall and historic unmet need” for self-build units, and housing more generally, and these “are matters which attract significant weight”.

But, they said the “benefits of the development are tempered by the modest scale of the scheme” and dismissed the appeal.

Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink says Chelsea may encounter a ‘problem’ if they hire Xabi Alonso but refuse to ‘give him the keys’ or allow him to lead on ‘football decisions’.

Chelsea’s search for a seventh permanent manager in the space of just five years is ongoing after Liam Rosenior was relieved of his duties last month.

Rosenior enjoyed a promising start to life in the Stamford Bridge dugout but results spiralled from early February and a miserable run of five straight league defeats – without scoring a single goal – meant his position was deemed untenable.

Under-21 coach Calum McFarlane picked up the pieces from Rosenior’s turbulent 107-day tenure and has done a commendable job, steering the club into this year’s FA Cup final before holding Liverpool to a 1-1 draw at Anfield at the weekend.

But a heavy 3-1 defeat at home to Nottingham Forest served as a stark reminder of Chelsea’s desperate league position – and Stamford Bridge bosses are eager to secure a deal for Rosenior’s permanent successor sooner rather than later.

Since Rosenior’s sacking, a host of high-profile names have been linked, including the likes of Cesc Fabregas, Xavi and Andoni Iraola, with the latter confirming that this season will be his last at Bournemouth.

Alonso has also emerged as a genuine candidate in recent days and reports on Monday indicated he would be ‘open’ to the prospect of taking charge in west London.

The 44-year-old announced himself as one of the most sought-after coaches in European football at Bayer Leverkusen, but has been out of a job since parting ways with Real Madrid after only eight months in January.

‘I don’t think he did that badly at Real Madrid,’ former Chelsea striker Hasselbaink said of Alonso on Sky Sports News.

‘Obviously what is expected at Real Madrid is being at the top all season but I think he was still within touching distance of Barcelona.

‘The problem is he wants to manage how he wants to manage and he feels that the players have to follow him. Stars are a little bit different, you need the support of the club.

‘I really like that, I like that he has his way, “This is how I see it, you players are going to follow my guidance and this is how I want to play and you’re going to play in a system, you’re going to run”, and if Chelsea chooses him, you have to give him the keys.

‘I’ve always said that whoever you choose, you have to give them the keys and the players need to know that he is the decision-maker.’

Asked if Chelsea’s hierarchy would be prepared to let Alonso be the key decision-maker, Hasselbaink replied: ‘That’s a question for them, but I think that’s the only way it will work.

‘Players need to know that the manager is in charge for football decisions and the moment they know that, they will run harder, they will do their best.

‘So if you’re going to choose Alonso, give him the keys and trust the process. Trust the process and let him lead.’

Hasselbaink has a level of sympathy for Rosenior and feels strongly that the issues at Chelsea run far deeper than whoever happens to find themselves sitting in the dugout.

‘I don’t think Liam Rosenior really was the wrong person,’ he went on.

‘Enzo Maresca also had no credentials, he didn’t have experience, but he was absolutely magnificent. He played a certain way and he was successful.

‘He won the Europa Conference League, he won the Club World Cup, he got them in the Champions League when he left, they were in a good position.

‘What happened in that spell of time when Enzo left and Liam was there? What happened? That’s what we need to find. Why did it go suddenly like that? I cannot only be Liam’s fault.

‘That’s where they really need to have a look at what has gone wrong and we need to make that better for the next manager to come in.

‘Yes, I do agree that I prefer someone with pedigree and who has been there because it’s a big, big club with big, big players. Normally you would associate that job, when it becomes available, with a Thomas Tuchel, a Mauricio Pochettino, a Jose Mourinho, a Carlo Ancelotti, these kind of names.

‘Why are those sort of names not linked anymore? That’s what we have to think about in my opinion.’

Chelsea’s squad have a perfect opportunity to end their immensely disappointing season on a high this weekend when they take to the field against Manchester City at Wembley.

And while they undoubtedly go into the final as the underdogs, Hasselbaink is not ruling out Enzo Fernandez and Co pulling off a big upset.

‘There’s always a chance. You never know, that’s the beauty of football,’ the Dutchman, whose Chelsea side finished runners-up in the FA Cup back in 2002, explained.

‘It looks very tough on paper, it looks very hard. If you would have said to me that Chelsea would get a draw at Liverpool, play actually really well and deserve to win, I would have said, “Really?”, due to the way they’ve been playing of late.

‘So that’s the next step for them. It’s a challenge, it’s going to be difficult, but it’s possible.

‘They went to Manchester City a few months ago and they drew that game, they played the second half exceptionally well.

‘A final is a final, you never know what can happen. It’s a one-off game so there’s everything to play for.’

It’s proven to be Cole Palmer’s most difficult year yet since swapping City for Chelsea back in 2023, with fitness problems making for a stop-start season in which he has missed 12 games in the Premier League alone.

On Palmer’s struggles, Hasselbaink said: ‘He didn’t have a proper pre-season, that’s what it started with, then there were niggling injuries and he hasn’t really been able to get his rhythm going.

‘He’s not been able to get himself playing pain-free and he would be the first one to say that he hasn’t played his best football.

‘But he still attracts players to him when he’s on the pitch and gives free space to other players.

‘I think he needs a good holiday after the World Cup and then from there he can build himself back up.’

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Johnny Clayton has broken his silence after Gerwyn Price pulled out of the World Cup of Darts

Darts star Johnny Clayton has revealed how much he’s looking forward to the World Cup of Darts with new team-mate Nick Kenny after Welsh icon Gerwyn Price surprisingly opted to pull out of the event.

The tournament will take place between June 11-14 at the Eissporthalle in Frankfurt, Germany. World No. 8 Price recently made himself unavailable for selection, meaning Kenny, who grew up in Cwmbran, will join forces with Clayton.

The 51-year-old Clayton took to X on Tuesday night, posting: “Ready to go again for Team Cymru at the World Cup of Darts! Me and Nick will be ready, and I’m looking forward to the challenge.”

Price and Clayton beat the Philippines, Hong Kong and the Netherlands to reach the World Cup final in 2025. Northern Ireland’s Josh Rock and Daryl Gurney ultimately denied Wales a third title in the showpiece game.

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Kenny is a PDC Tour Card holder who is currently ranked 60th in the PDC rankings. He has qualified for seven World Championships across the BDO and the PDC, reaching the third round in 2025 where he eventually bowed out to Luke Humphries.

This is the second time in three years that Price will miss the World Cup and speculation has been rife over ‘the iceman’s’ most recent absence.

The 41-year-old posted a concerning health update after a 6-2 Premier League loss to Leeds last week. Price has since moved to dismiss that as the reason for his World Cup absence, however.

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Writing after the Premier League defeat, Price said: “My focus is there, it’s just health-wise I am not in a great place at the moment,” he said. “But I am battling on and searching for some results.

“Hopefully in the next couple of weeks they will come and they will put me at ease. Then I will be able to enjoy darts again. Frustrating times.

“Time to rely on Lady Luck and see what happens over the next two weeks. Hopefully make the play-offs, but I need a lot of luck to go my way. Hopefully see you at the O2 [at the Premier League darts].

“It’s not good playing once a week and hopefully I get the results I want in three weeks’ time. This year has been great in the Premier League and it’s been a great start to the season. The crowd has got me through a lot of games but sometimes things happen you can’t control.”

He later confirmed through a statement on Instagram that his withdrawal is not down to his health. He said: “Just to clarify I have NOT withdrawn from the World Cup because of health reasons.”

World champion Luke Littler and world No. 2 Luke Humphries will represent Team England in Frankfurt. The two top-ranked players lost to Germany in the second round in 2025.

However, they enter this year’s event as the No. 1 seeds, meaning they will kick off their competition in the second round alongside the Netherlands, Scotland, and Northern Ireland.

Rock and Gurney will return to Frankfurt with Northern Ireland as defending champions. Mickey Mansell, who previously turned out for Northern Ireland between 2012 and 2015 but later switched his allegiances, will play alongside William O’Connor for the Republic of Ireland.

Gary Anderson and Cameron Menzies will represent the Scots. The Dutch team are a frightening proposition for any player, boasting a line-up of Gian van Veen and Michael Van Gerwen.

Sky Sports, HBO Max, Netflix and Disney+ with Ultimate TV package

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Sky has upgraded its Ultimate TV and Sky Sports bundle to now include HBO Max, Netflix, Disney+, discovery+ and Hayu, as well as 135 channels and full Sky coverage of the Premier League and EFL.

Sky broadcasts more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more with at least 215 live from the top flight alongside Formula 1, darts and golf.

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Leicester icon Jamie Vardy has been linked with a sensational return to his former club despite being contracted to Serie A side Cremonese and his wife has now spoken out

Rebekah Vardy has shut down rumours that husband Jamie could make an emotional return to Leicester City as ‘fake news’. The 39-year-old departed the King Power Stadium last summer after a glittering 11-year spell.

During his time in the Midlands, Vardy’s 200 goals helped Leicester to the Premier League title, FA Cup and two promotions. After bidding an emotional farewell to the Foxes, Vardy penned a deal with Serie A side Cremonese.

But reports in Italy have suggested that a return to Leicester might already be on his mind. According to Gazzetta dello Sport, the veteran forward wants to return to Leicester in a playing capacity for just one more season.

That however has already been denied by wife Rebekah, who responded to the speculation on Instagram by writing: “Fake news I’m afraid.”

Vardy is out of contract with Cremonese this summer, albeit the Italian side have an option to extend that deal by a further year. The former England frontman has scored six goals in 27 Serie A appearances this term, with the side having fought relegation for the majority of the campaign.

READ MORE: Inside Jamie and Rebekah Vardy’s marriage now and real reason they survived Wagatha Christie hellREAD MORE: Jamie Vardy admits his rags-to-riches Netflix story will never be repeated

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Vardy would find Leicester in a very different position should he end up returning. Having departed with the club in the Premier League, the Midlands side now find themselves in League One following a woeful campaign that also saw them deducted six points for breaching the EFL’s Profit and Sustainability rules.

Speaking in an interview with Mirror Sport about his former club’s plight, Vardy said: “It’s tough. I watch as many games as I physically can and it’s not nice to see. The main thing the title win did was give the so-called smaller teams the ambition to want to try to do it and gave them a belief it can happen.

“Villa are a great example. They’ve built a good team and they’re fighting at the top so they’re showing it can be done still. What you saw with Leicester is that it was the group of lads that were the right fit together.

“So if you get the right group, the right players for the positions, the way you want to play and the right mentality I think anything can still happen.

“Our team are all still on a group in WhatsApp. We’re always talking to each other, always keeping in touch, seeing what lads are doing. The bond we had back then was unbelievable.”

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Asked if retirement could be on the cards any time soon, Vardy replied: “I’m just a freak, not normal. And like I said, if these legs tell me it’s up then it’s up, if they say they’re still fine then I’ll carry on.

“I will carry on doing whatever I am asked. It’s that simple. I wake up in the morning train, go again, the same on the match day. I give as good as I can. I’ve always said when the legs tell me it’s enough then that will be the day.

“Fortunately for these boys [slaps his legs], they’re still telling me they’re fine at the minute. And if my legs were gone, yeah, I’d still love football, but I wouldn’t put myself through that.

“I’d be doing no benefits for myself and wouldn’t be doing any benefits for wherever I may be playing my football. So it’s just one of them things for me when they say enough’s enough then, that is finito.”

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Sky Sports, HBO Max, Netflix and Disney+ with Ultimate TV package

This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more

Sky has upgraded its Ultimate TV and Sky Sports bundle to now include HBO Max, Netflix, Disney+, discovery+ and Hayu, as well as 135 channels and full Sky coverage of the Premier League and EFL.

Sky broadcasts more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more with at least 215 live from the top flight alongside Formula 1, darts and golf.