WEST SWINDON: The move of McDonald's into the empty Blockbuster video unit in West Swindon Shopping Centre draws nearer. The fast food chain now has approval for additional ventilation and air control.

The restaurant already has permission to trade 24 hours a day when it moves.

STRATTON ST MARGARET: Revelan Group, which runs an office and warehouse on a site in Radway Road, will be able to add another floor of offices to its two-storey building there.

Adding the new 300 sq m of offices involved putting a new floor into the building but no external alterations aside from putting in windows for the new offices.

OLD TOWN: A family home can be extended at the back and converted into an eight-bedroom house of multiple occupation – despite the parish council saying there are already too many in the area.

Developer Imran Aslam has been given the go-ahead to build the two-storey extension to 30 Victoria Road.

His plans include putting a one bedroom and a shared kitchen in the basement of the house, three en-suite bedroom s on the ground floor, two on the first floor and one in the loft

South Swindon Parish Council objected because it says the limit for HMO in Old Town has been reached and “they have a detrimental effect on services, space and quality in the area.”

TOOTHILL: A plan to extend a house to the rear and side and concert the whole new structure into three flats has been refused.

Planners at Swindon Borough Council say A Bains’ plan for 66 Beaulieu Close would: “diminish the characteristic visual gap between the terraces, eroding the visual relief in the built form which contributes positively to achieving an open, spacious character within this.”

HINTON PARVA: A building described as little more than a garden shed – and one which is not suitable for human habitation at the moment - can be extended and used for holiday lets.

Randal Pakemen, who lives in Faringdon, already had permission to change the use of the land around The Chalet in Church Row in the village south of Swindon to tourist uses.

That permission held a lot of sway with planners when he applied to be able to extend and let out the building on it. It was a garden building that had been sold, with some land, separately when the nearby home Three Ways changed hands in 2005.

Neighbours wrote to planners objecting to the scheme, saying having the building habitable would break up the pattern of the village and “the proliferation of garages, cars, sheds, houses, summer houses which from an expansion of The Chalet” would change the character of the area.

Bishopstone and Hinton Parish Council were also against the plan and said: “The existing chalet structure is a semi-derelict garden. It is not suitable for habitation and neighbours confirm that it has not been used for any residential purpose for at least 18 years.”

PINEHURST: A house will be doubled in width, but the ground floor of the new extension will be a tunnel to allow cars through to park and turn around.

Despite objections from both Central Swindon North Parish Council and Swindon Borough Council’s own highways officer, the plan by J Dogra to extend 479 Cricklade Road and covert the whole building into four one-bed flats has got the green light.

While the two-storey extension on the side of the building is as wide as the existing house, only the upper floor will be habitable. The lower part of the extension will be open to allow cars to access parking behind the flats and use a turning circle.

The highways officer was concerned it could still see cars reversing out onto Cricklade Road, near the Moonrakers junction, but planning officers thought that was not unusual in the part of the street and that four one-bed flats would not increase traffic by much.

EXTENSIONS: Applications to build extensions on houses or to convert lofts, garages and other outbuildings into habitable rooms have been approved for: 1 Basingstoke Close, Freshbrook; 17 Somerdale Close, Eastleaze; Deer House, Trenchard Road , Stanton Fitzwarren; 4 Kilby Crecent, Blunsdon St Andrew; 137 Queensfield, Kingsdown; 42 Castlefield Close, Eastleaze; 10 Thyme Close, Pembroke Park and 4 College Green Wanborough.