Badbury: A village will be getting its rare, historic postbox back. The Royal Mail has been given permission to replace a cast iron box stolen from a wall in Horseshoe Way.

The Royal Mail said: “Previously an existing listed postbox was stolen from a wall, and subsequently the wall was infilled with local stone, but left in a poor condition.

“It is now the intention of Royal Mail to reinstate a rare George VI box which is of the same time period and equally as rare as the one stolen, however not an exact replacement as Royal Mail simply do not have any available boxes of the same style.”

George VI boxes date from between 1936 and 1952, made during the reign of the current Queen’s father.The replacement has a squared off top, unlike the domed top of the stolen box.

Gorse Hill: The owner of 395 Cricklade Road, M Newsome, has been given permission to build a games room in the back garden. The single-storey building will feature a games room big enough to fit a pool or snooker table, and a small home gym with a toilet and shower room.

Moredon: The owner of 140 Whitworth Road, M Watts, will be allowed to build a garage and storeroom in his back garden.

Town centre: An empty unit in Commercial Road in the town centre will be taken over by an estate agent chain. Number 128 will have signs put up advertising Chancellors UK, the company having been given permission to put up two signs.

Town centre: A professional archaeologist will be employed to keep an eye on work to excavate ground at the site earmarked for a landmark new tower block.

Insurance company Zurich is to build its new headquarters on the Kimmerfield site in the town centre, and has had its water pipe investigation work signed off by borough council planners.

The company has said it will have an archaeologist keep a ‘watching brief’ on work. Excavation work will be carried out by a 'toothless' digger, and the soil examined and cleared through by hand.

If more, and more significant, finds come to light, the archaeologist will be able to call a halt to the work to allow proper investigations to be made.

Old Town: Accountancy firm Monahans has been given permission to convert its building into flats.

The block at 30-40 Newport Street could be converted into 13 separate flats, with the block at number 42 being approved for seven flats.

Hannington: The owner of Nell House in the village J Ramage has asked for permission to replace the existing riding stables on the property. They would be constructed on the site of existing older, stables, behind the main house and would be similar both in footprint and size to the existing buildings which would be pulled down.

Tadpole Garden Village: ISG has applied to put up an electricity substation on William Morris Way to provide power to the William Morris Primary School being built there.

Extensions: Proposals for extensions to houses have been approved for 6 Northfield Way in Nythe, 4 Selby Crescent in Freshbrook, 2 Wrde Hill in Highworth. 3 Monmouth Close in Lawn, 62 Home Close in Chiseldon, 38 Carisbrook Terrace in Chiseldon, 16 Normandy Road in Wroughton and 45 Pleydell Road in Old Town. An application for 1 Dorchester Road in Lawn has been withdrawn.