SUPPORTERS of a village museum dedicated to a war heroine, including the BAFTA-winning actress who played her in a major film, are celebrating after an appeal to build up to nine homes alongside was dismissed.

Carve Her Name With Pride and Born Free star Virginia McKenna was among those who objected to the self-build homes scheme beside the Violette Szabo Museum and cricket club in Wormelow.

WWII heroine Szabo was a frequent visitor to the village where her uncle lived before the war, and the museum honours her life and the sacrifice she made after being captured and executed by the Nazis in 1945.

Charles O’Connor was originally refused “permission in principle’ by Herefordshire Council planners to develop the South Herefordshire Hunt Kennels grassland site, which also borders the cricket club and Millennium Green.

The application attracted 24 objection letters, including from the 90-year-old actress who has visited the museum several times.

And now the planning inspector has dismissed an appeal, over fears that the development could pollute the protected River Wye Special Area of Conservation.

He said that “insufficient evidence” had been provided to show that a “package treatment plant would be a viable method to safely dispose of foul water on the site”.

“The RWSAC is identified by Natural England as a site in an unfavourable ecological condition due to excessive nutrients, particularly phosphorous,” he said.

“The additional housing proposed would result in a net increase in the local population and would inevitably have implications for wastewater.

“I cannot be satisfied, beyond reasonable scientific doubt, that the development would not have an adverse effect on the integrity of the RWSAC.”

He added that on that basis he didn’t need to consider other matters, such as the suitability of its location for housing.

Mr O’Connor claimed in his appeal that the site was a sustainable location and sits “within the existing settlement of Wormelow”.

The Violette Szabo Museum, founded in honour of the SOE agent, overlooks the site off Tump Lane.

Born Free star Ms McKenna told planners in her objection: “Although I am not a resident of Wormelow, I have visited it for many years to attend the special day held in honour of Violette Szabo.

“She was a Special Forces agent who was captured in France during the Second World War, sent to Ravensbruck and executed.”

The actress, who attended the museum’s 2017 Violette Szabo day, added that she shared the fears of museum founder and owner Rosemary Rigby MBE and neighbours, who are “understandably deeply concerned” about the effects of the “significant and ill-conceived project”.

“I understand, of course, that houses have to be built. But that a development of this scale, in such an environment, could even be considered is extremely worrying. The peace and beauty of the surroundings are gone for ever…” she said.

Ms Rigby also told planners that building on the “wonderful” pasture would be a “devastating blow” that would blight the neighbourhood and wildlife.

“Tump Lane has already now very many homes and the thought of adding even more cars seems cruelly sad…

“It does not have a continuous pavement and at the Wormelow end a man has already been killed when returning home one night.”

Cricket club life member and former fire service communications officer Richard Prime, who grew up on the lane, said the views from neighbouring properties would be “blighted”, while the site entrance would be “dangerous”.

And Much Birch Parish Council also objected, claiming the access and exit points for the proposed site were inadequate.

Some backed the scheme, Alan Darfi telling planners: “There is certainly an issue in terms of housing opportunities. I would certainly be interested in a plot if the application is approved.”

Consultants on behalf of the application said self-build houses would provide a route into home ownership for people and groups who want to play a role in developing their own homes.

They added: “The development of the site would accord with the existing settlement pattern of the village and round off development in this location.”