Landscaping, green roofs and protection of wildlife habitat in new buildings feature in recent planning applications and decisions in Swindon

Rodbourne Cheney: Developer Hardeep Sandhu has been given the go-ahead to knock down the garages next to 58 Richmond Roads and put up two three-bed semi-detached houses there.

A fence will be put up separating the development from number 58, creating gardens for the new houses. Two car parking spaces per house will be designed in for both 58 and the two new houses.

Swindon Borough Council planners said the development was acceptable and would go a small way to addressing a shortfall in housing in the borough.

Dorcan:  The Avalon Centre in Hindle Way is having new buildings put up on its site to increase the facilities it can offer people who have suffered a brain injury to aid their recovery.

It has submitted details to the council’s planners to have them sign off on its plan for green roofs to the new buildings, its drainage plans and landscape management strategy.

Dorcan: The operator of a hot food takeaway van M Durdu has applied to extend his hours. Mr Durdu is allowed to site his van in Faraday Road in the Dorcan industrial estate between 5pm and 11pm every day. He’s asked for permission to open at 6am instead.

But two businesses TD Wiliamson and Beard Construction, and  Nythe, Eldene & Liden Parish Council have all objected on grounds of obstruction of the highway.

Wichelstowe: McCarthy Stone the developer building retirement and assisted living flats in the Wichelstowe development, just south of the Deanery School might have trouble getting one of its applications signed off. As part of the permission for the apartments, the developer must include bird boxes, swift bricks and bat boxes to provide habitat for bats and birds.

It has submitted pictures, asking for the condition to be discharged. But Swindon Borough Council’s conservation officer said: “The applicants have not provided sufficient evidence to show that the agreed number of bird and bat boxes have been installed. One photo provided shows eight swift bricks, the other two photos do not seem to show any swift bricks or bat boxes.”

Extensions: Applications have been lodged to build extensions to houses or to build outbuildings or convert lofts and garages to habitable rooms at 147 Rosebury Street, Broadgreen; Lynt Farm, Lynt Farm Lane, Inglesham; 29 Ceres Road, Blunsdon; 117 Marlborough Road, Lawn; 9 Sandringham Road, Lawn; 141 Moredon Road, Moredon and 5 Calvert Road, Old Walcot.

 Such applications have been approved for 2 Mount Pleasant farm Cottages, Horpit; 8 Liddington Street, Pinehurst; 11 Mackmurdo Avenue , Tadpole Garden Village; 198 County Road, Broadgreen; 62 Mulberry Grove, Rodbourne Cheney; 3 Whatleys Orchard, Bishopstone and 10 Charolais Drive, Ramleaze.

 A plan to build a first-floor side extension onto 1 The Quarries in Old Town has been refused due to planners feeling it was out of keeping.

The plan was to put an extra storey over the property's garage, to form a home office, and for it to be clad in timber. An external staircase would give access to the office.

Planners wrote, in denying the application: “The proposed first floor timber clad extension and associated stairway is considered to be an arbitrary form of development that would not assimilate well with the host property or the surrounding area.

"It fails to respect the character and appearance of the host property and the surrounding area, nor does it preserve or enhance the conservation area.”

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