The prospect of Swindon’s own Flat-iron building may have diminished, and houses in County Road are being converted.

Old Town: The development company that already has approval to build two flats in a triangular patch of land between  Swindon Road and Dover Street has withdrawn its second plan to build a six-person Shared House of multiple occupation.

Freedom Holdings Ltd wanted to use the triangular cleared building, somewhat reminiscent of the Flat-iron building in New York.

But the plan has been withdrawn following more than a dozen comments and objections from nearby residents and the request by ward Councillor Paul Dixon to have the matter called into the council’s planning committee should officers be minded to approve the scheme.

Freedom Holdings still has permission for the two flats which came with the site when the company bought it last year.

South Marston: A request by Jerry Gonsalves to site his black ‘Flavour Junction’ takeaway food van in a layby on Highworth Road has been refused.

The council’s highways officer told planners that the layby had been specifically constructed to be able to hold four big lorries, and the loss of one of those spaces would encourage HGV drivers to “park inappropriately elsewhere on the highway”. The officer was also concerned about the conflict between motor traffic and customers stopping to buy and consume food from the van.

Broadgreen: A four-bed house in 29 County Road can be converted into a seven-room HMO housing eight people. Suleman Kundus’ plan entails no change to the exterior of the property, and there is sufficient space in the rear garden for amenity space and car and cycle parking, with space at the front for storage of bins.

Lawn: The Post Office and One Stop Shop at 44 Guildford Avenue has applied for permission to change the signs at the shop, removing a projecting sign advertising an ATM, and updating displays around the ATM and in the shop’s windows.

Broadgreen: The four-bed detached house at 77 County Road can be converted into four apartments.

Approving Mr Shama’s plan to convert the building into one studio and one one-bed flat on the ground floor with two single-bed apartments on the first floor, one benefiting from a study in the loft space, council planners said there was sufficient parking for four cars and at least four bicycles in the property.

Walcot: a plan put forward by Ndiouga Diop to turn the corner plot of open land next to his house at 55 Courtney Road into a garden and parking for his household has been refused by a government-appointed inspector.

Planners at Swindon Borough Council had not decided on Mr Diop’s plan for the triangle of land 165 square metres in the area in the statutory time.

He then took the matter to appeal to be decided by a planning inspector, but the inspector found against him.

In the decision, the inspector said that Swindon Council indicated it would have refused the application because of “the effect on the development and appearance of the area. He agreed giving the judgment that the enclosure would diminish the open aspect of the area.”

Extensions: Applications have been submitted to build extensions to houses, or outbuildings or to convert lofts or garages into habitable rooms at: 17 Deben Crescent, Haydon Wick; 40 Iffley Road, Rodbourne; 59 John Ruskin Road, Tadpole Garden Village; 78 Burford Avenue, Old Walcot; 94 The Mall, Old Town; 7 Larksfield, Covingham; 16 Winton Road, Upper Stratton; 2 The Leasowes, Tadpole Garden Village; 7 Downs View Road, Broome Manor.

Such applications have been approved for: 21 Walcot Road, Old Walcot; Lynt Farm, Lynt Farm Lane, Inglesham.

Help support trusted local news

Sign up for a digital subscription now: https://www.swindonadvertiser.co.uk/subscribe/

As a digital subscriber, you will get:            

  • Unlimited access to the Swindon Advertiser website        
  • Advert-light access             
  • Reader rewards             
  • Full access to our app