Old Town: The demolition of the Adver’s old paper store and its conversion into flats (pictured) has come a couple of steps closer. Plans for the external materials to be used, drainage and the construction management plan – which had to be agreed before serious work starts – have been signed off by Swindon Borough Council officers.

Wroughton: More than 250 letters of support outweighed objections from groups such as Historic England, the British Horse Society, the Bridleway Association and Swindon Ramblers in deliberations over the expansion for a shooting club.

Barbury Shooting School, which operates in countryside south of the village, has been given the go ahead to expand its clubhouse significantly and to build another store building on its site.

Four residents and a number of outdoor leisure groups had objected to the scheme, mainly because scatter from shot clay pigeons sometimes falls on the footpath and bridleway passing the school’s site. Riders say the noise of shooting is so alarming to horses it makes using the bridleway impossible.

But letters backing the plan were sent in not only from Swindon, but by users of the club from across southern England. The scheme was approved.

Pipers Way: Planners have agreed Tour Life management service’s plan to change the cladding in its scheme for a new care home and shop to be constructed in Piper’s Way. The developer says the new material offers a great level of fireproofing.

Toothill: Swindon Borough Council’s housing department has been given permission by the authority’s planning team to replace the roofs of 35 council flats. The roof and cladding on numbers 1-35 Stratford Close will be removed and the asbestos concrete outer replaced by lightweight steel tiles.

The flats make up a low-rise three storey terrace.

Moredon: The owner of 11 Moredon Road, E Salik, has had his request to change the building into a hot food takeaway refused.

Mr Salik had recently been given permission to change the house into a launderette – and that seemed to weigh against the proposal for a takeaway.

Planners at Euclid Street said: “The type of hot food to be sold from the premises has not been defined in the application.

"It may be a speculative application where no use is identified, this view is reinforced by the parallel application to use the premises as a launderette.

"There is concerned therefore that the food sold will not promote healthy lifestyles to the local community.”

The proximity of Moredon Primary School and daytime opening hours were also mentioned as reasons for refusal.

Hannington: Rare newts will be well catered for on farmland near the village of Hannington in the north east of the borough.

Grant Barker, who farms at Gore Farm in Gore Lane to the south west of the village, has been given permission to dig out two huge ponds on his land.

One will be 200 square metres in area and the other a massive 900 square metres – though both will be no deeper than one metre at most, and will be contoured specifically as a habitat for great crested newts.

The permission has been granted under the district licensing scheme, which the council has recently signed up to, allowing developers to create habitats away from development sites to benefit the protected species.

Extensions: Proposals for extensions to homes, or conversions of garages, outbuildings or lofts have been approved for 67 Chatsworth Road, Abbey Meads; 14 Robinsgreen, Covingham; 12 Northbourne Road, St Andrews Ridge; 19 Churchway Blunsdon; 3 Tenby Cloe, Lawn; 50 Lineacre Close, Grange Park; 16 Little Avenue Rodbourne Cheney; 59 Marlborough Road; 43 Stratton Road, Stratton St Margaret; 6 Sandringham Road; Lawn and Sevimli, 1A High Street Chiseldon.