THE contractors behind the £14.8m heating pipeline project in Headington are now seeking expert planning advice after retracting their third application. 

Vital Energi admitted it had "never put in a planning application before" at a meeting last night and has now hired a planning consultant for the Hospital Energy Project, which will link the John Radcliffe and Churchill hospitals with a heat pipe.

But bosses behind the scheme said it was not typical to have to put in a planning application for one of their projects.  

Operations manager Simon James said he thought the delay was a good opportunity for the contractors to consult the community on their views, after they received a barrage of complaints when the project was revealed without consultation at the end of last year. 

He said: "As of Thursday, we have withdrawn our application and are now working with planning consultants Turleys. 

"At the beginning of May we want to hold client liaison days, where we can give residents the chance to have a look through our plans. 

"They can see the route and the schedule and offer their suggestions on things so we can take them into account when finalising plans."

Mr James continued to say that the chosen route would go up Lime Walk, with initial applications showing the 2.2km pipework going along All Saints Road and on to Stapleton Road, Old Road, London Road and Latimer Road.

He said: "The rough schedule at the moment is to put an application in again in May and then after comments and committee to hopefully start work at the beginning of September."

Mike Ratcliffe from Highfields Residents' Assocation said: "I think residents being consulted on their views is a good idea but I don't know why it's taken them so long to sort out the application and for them to realise this."

County councillor for the area Roz Smith raised concerns that the Hospital Energy Project would clash with Acess to Headington – a scheme to improve the area's roads – but Mr James dismissed the claims. 

He said: "We will get our heads together and make sure we work and consult with the relevant parties to ensure the two will not run at the same time."

Councillor Smith also echoed some residents' views in saying they would like compensation for the scheme, which would take six months to complete and will now run over Christmas. 

It was also delayed after the second application was rendered invalid in February due to queries over land ownership. 

She said: "While I know a lot of people are interested in having traffic calming on their road, others would like to see a speed camera installed.

"It would be good to have some kind of compensation for how long this has taken and how it will affect us."

Frank Buchanan from the Lime Walk residents' association said: "I think after all of this delay and upheaval we do deserve some kind of compensation."