The ‘eyesore’ caused by a burnt-out, prefab council house can now be removed, while a well-known designer hopes to be able to do sun salutations while looking at her kitchen garden.
Rodbourne Cheney: Swindon Borough Council’s own planning department has granted permission to demolish a burnt-out house and its semi-detached partner and build two houses on the property.
Numbers five and six Holly Close sits in the corner of a cul-de-sac of immediate post-war prefab dwellings, six of which have been boarded up and gutted by fire.
When requesting permission to demolish them, the council stated: “These buildings provide little to no architectural importance to the area, with No.5 devaluing the area due to significant visual damage resulting from a fire.”
In their place, the council proposes another pair of semis: Number 5 would be a three-bedroom house, while Number 6 would be fairly similar in structure, albeit slightly larger, but with a ground floor annexe containing a wheelchair-accessible bedroom as well as an accessible bath, toilet, and shower.
Central Swindon North Parish Council has opposed to the project, citing ‘impractical parking’ – places would be created aside in front of the properties, leading onto the close.
Stratton St Margaret: The Grange Drive convenience shop has been granted permission to modify its lettering and branding from yellow to the One Stop chain’s red and blue colours.
Old Town: Despite dropping plans to convert a portion of Celsus Grove’s convenience store into a hot meal takeaway, S Singh is trying again. A very similar application, if accepted, would include a serving hatch in the shopfront to the right of the main entrance, with a food preparation room directly behind it.
Swindon Borough Council’s public health staff has objected to the request citing concerns about air quality, noise, and the fact that the proposed takeout is close to Commonweal School and much closer to a playpark.
The prior proposal attracted several complaints from neighbors before being withdrawn in July 2024.
Broadgreen: Clear Channel UK’s proposal to build a bus shelter with electronic and static advertising boards outside 174 County Road has been rejected.
The application was made in January 2024, but was not processed, and has now officially been ‘finally disposed of’ by the borough council’s planning department.
Town Centre: A new power substation could be erected at the far end of Swindon Bus station, near to an existing substation, to support the redevelopment of the Kimmerfields sector.
The stations are directly across Carfax near from the new Zurich headquarters, and quite near to cleared area designated for building.
The bus station itself is expected to be decommissioned and removed, maybe subsequently to become the location of a new theatre, when Fleming Way is opened later this year.
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