The latest planning applications for Swindon Borouch Council.

Old Town: An empty office block can be turned into flats. The Forum in Marlborough Road, next to the Locarno/Corn Exchange building has been empty for some time. And that means developer Segrue Investments Ltd have been given the go-ahead to convert the upper three storey into a total of 15 flats, six each on the first and second floors and three on the third floor.

The plans say the offices on the ground floor, which was used as a Barclays Bank will be retained.

Town Centre: Official planning permission has been granted to Swindon Hindu Temple Trust to use the second and third floors of Regent House in Theatre Square as a place of worship and a community hall and meeting space. 

Wroughton: Jason Jones of T7J properties has put forward plans to build four houses, in an arrangement of two semi-detached houses, on land at the side and rear of the Co-Op store in Moormead Road in the village. The houses would be next to the long side of the shop and between it and the garages at the back.

Blagrove:  A tool shed and recycling storage building put up at The Orion building in Frankland Road in the Blagrove industrial estate without planning permission can stay.

The company Neptune, which uses the building has been given a certificate of lawfulness by council planners for the two buildings which were put in in 2013. 

The planners’ decision says: “The recycling shed, and tool store buildings are deemed to be lawful in planning terms as they have been in place for a sufficient length of time so that no enforcement action can now be taken by the Local Planning Authority in respect of their construction.

Wroughton: Despite objections from the parish council and some neighbours a plan by a Mr Blake to convert the Bed and Breakfast accommodation at Artis Cottage, 1 Swindon Road in the village has been approved. The plan includes putting two separate bedrooms in the double garage at the property.

County Ground: Rain shouldn’t affect the players on the all-weather pitch at Foundation Park at the County Ground Complex. And if Swindon Town FC’s Community trusts plans are approved, it shouldn’t affect spectators either. The trust wants to put up to covered 36-=seat stands at the side of the all-weather pitch

Town Centre:  Developer J Knowles has applied to turn the office space above a vape shop in Havelock Street in the main shopping centre into a one-bedroom flat. In order to do so Mr Knowles plans to remove the internal stairs and access between the shop and the first floor and build an external staircase to a rear access to the flat.

Extensions: Applications have been put in for consent to extend houses or build outbuildings or convert garages and lofts into habitable rooms at: 206 Marlborough Road, 11 Goddard Avenue, Old Town; 34 Ashmore Close, Nythe; 22 Whittington Road, Westlea and 34 Capethorne Drive Haydon Wick. The latter application is very similar to a separate plan which has already been given consent.

Extension have been approved for 13 Hopton Close, Freshbrook; 6 Folly Crescent, Highworth; 100 York Road;  28 Hesketh Crescent, Old Town; 37 Field Rise, Old Town; 20 Radstock Avenue, Park North; 50 Grove Hill, Highworth; 29 Deben Crescent; Haydon Wick; 2 Verney Close, Covingham;  4 Botany, Highworth; 68 Shrivenham Road; 479 Cricklade Road, Pinehurst and 16 Topaz Close, St Andrew.

The plan to build a single-storey rear extension at 4 Northfield Way in Nythe has been withdrawn.

Similarly, a plan to build a combined garage, workshop and home office at 77 Wharf Road in Wroughton has been withdrawn. Wroughton Parish Council objected to the proposal non-grounds of over-development of the site.