A cattery building in Swindon will be knocked down to build luxury houses in its place.

Permission has been granted for developer Richard James’ plan to knock down the modern cattery building in the grounds of the Grade II-listed Westleaze Farmhouse at 1 Westleaze Mill Lane, and to build four luxury houses on the site.

Mr James will be able add an extension to the existing large farm barn just to the north of the cattery buildings, and to convert those into a large luxury three-bed house.

Coming from that new building will be three long rectangular buildings, forming a farmhouse-style courtyard.

The building to the western side will offer a parking garage on the ground floor and a gym and studio space on the upper floor.

The southern building would consist of one two-storey, three-bed house, and the eastern building would again offer covered parking on the ground floor, with the first floor being divided into two one-bed flats.

In recommending approval of the plan, Swindon Borough Council planners, wrote: “It is not considered that the proposed dwellings would have a harmful impact on the residential amenities of occupiers of neighbouring dwellings or upon each other.

The proposed dwellings comply with the prescribed national space standards and with adequate fenestration to allow natural light, and will accord future occupants an acceptable level of accommodation. Adequate outdoor communal amenity space is proposed - gravel courtyard gardens to the centre court and west side as well as large expanse of green communal area to the south of the site adjoining the main access.”

Mr James has put in a separate application for listed building consent to put a doorway in the wall of the farmstead, giving access to the new houses’ courtyard garden.

The council’s conservation officer said the door would cause some harm to the historic nature of the wall, but it would not be substantial.

Recommending approval planners officers wrote: “In this instance, the opening of the listed wall will be part of the overall development to provide four new residential dwellings that would make a positive contribution to the available housing supply in a sustainable location making use of brownfield land.

“The benefits associated with an additional four dwellings:  jobs during construction, community infrastructure receipts, council tax and spending by future occupants that would boost the local economy is in this instance considered to outweigh the harm to the wall.”