A distinctive whitewashed Victorian building, something of a landmark in Old Town, can be converted from a hotel into flats and student-style shared homes.

Developer Brett Invest Ltd, based in London, has been given permission to build extensions to 151-152 Victoria Road to be used as flats and to change the use of the main building from a hotel to two five-bedroom HMOs and flats.

The application says the shared apartments would have five single bedrooms each, with communal kitchens and living areas on the ground floor of the building.

On the second floor the company will divide the building into five single-bedroom flats, and build a new staircase entrance to those flats, given no access to the HMOs below.

The rear extension would contain 10 single-bed flats across three floors.

The developer told Swindon Borough Council’s planners: “The proposals would provide much needed housing within Swindon for first time buyers/rental that would not conflict with the proposed uses or surrounding area.”

There is no parking to go with the development.

Two Old Town councillors, Paul Dixon and Jane Milner-Barry, had objected as they felt the plans did not have sufficient cycle storage. But a revision of the storage plans which allocated 24 covered cycle spaces addressed their concerns which were withdrawn.

South Swindon Parish Council had also objected on grounds of loss of parking and lack of cycle storage, and it maintained its objection out of principle as it thinks there are too many houses and buildings being converted into HMOs in Old Town.

The borough council’s urban design officer was also not happy, saying the conversion was over-development of the site.

But the council’s planning officers were of a different mind. The report recommending the plans be approved said: “This part of Victoria Road is characterised by terraced properties that have been altered and extended in all different manner.

"On balance, the development is of a design and appearance that would not harm the character or appearance of the host property or the area in which it is situated.”

The need for housing also helped make the officer’s decision: “The proposed extensions to accommodate the additional flats that would make a positive contribution to the housing supply in the borough and introduce appropriate housing mix in the locality."