A TIMBER-CLAD chalet has been saved from demolition after the borough council quashed a bid to knock it down and replace it with a two-storey home.

Randal Pakeman of Faringdon applied for permission to demolish the Church Row building and build a four-bedroom home that would look like a bungalow from one side but used the slope on the L-shaped site to have a ground floor on the other.

The application called the chalet "in poor condition and of no architectural merit" but the parish council disagreed and objected.

Swindon Borough Council's planning team wrote: "The harm that would be caused to the heritage assets outweighs any public benefit from the provision of one dwelling.

"The design of the proposed dwelling on this backland site does not reflect the local character of the area.

"The proposed development would not materially contribute to the housing land supply and there is no identified need for this type of housing in Hinton Parva."