AN 18th century listed farmhouse most recently used as a council office could be returned to its original use.

Developer William Arthur Property wants to turn The Limes at 21 Green Road in Stratton St Margaret into a luxury four-bedroom home. The company also wants to knock down the modern extensions to the original farmhouse used as offices and build another five houses on the site.

All the modern additions to site will be knocked down and the five new houses built around the car park behind the main house to create what the developers call a “communal farmyard courtyard”.

A new five-bedroom house could be built next to The Limes facing Green Road – essentially where a modern extension to the main building now stands – and there could be two sets of two semi-detached houses arranged around the central area, three with three bedroom and one with four.

The developer’s application says because the borough council’s design guidance published in 2019 said The Limes itself had to be the most important building in any development, it has designed the other houses to be simple buildings in an agrarian style to match it.

Trees will be planted on the edge of the property and a communal garden set in the space between the site and 19 Green Road, also an 18th century listed building which planners have insisted should be taken into account in any design.

William Arthur Property says its intention is to highlight the historic nature of The Limes, which dates back to when Stratton was an agricultural village. It says: “Over the years the property has had modern extensions and poor maintenance which has harmed the character of the former farmhouse and farmyard, effectively camouflaging The Limes heritage asset from plain sight.”

The developer says the new buildings, particularly the new house to be built next to the main building are smaller and less intrusive than Palm Tree Lodge, the modern extension there now.

Bill Blackwater who lives nearby said the new development looked like an improvement. He said: “I didn’t know the building was listed, it looks so ordinary. the rest of the buildings don’t do much for it either.

"The new plan looks good, and better than a big block of flats or something like that.”
When Swindon Borough Council put the buildings up for sale and redevelopment in 2019 property website Zoopla estimated its value as just over £420,000.

Comments on the plan should be made by September 1.