Town Centre: More shops will be converted to flats in the town centre.

Developer Valeridge Ltd has been given permission to convert the first floor of three contiguous shops at 39a-41 Havelock Street off Commercial Road into apartments. The buildings will be made into one three-bed and two two-bedroom apartments.

The plans were given the go ahead despite the objections of South Swindon Parish Council which felt the bin and bicycle storage arrangements were not big enough, and simple uncovered bike racks next to the street weren’t good enough.

Highworth: Sheep’s wool will be put to use insulating a listed building in one of the borough’s most splendid stately homes.

Guillaume Molhant-Proost who owns Hannington Hall (pictured) to the north east of Swindon has asked for permission to convert the roof of the eighteenth century estate’s coach house into a small flat.

Mr Molhant-Proost’s application says the roof space of the building will have to be insulated. Wool will be fitted between the rafters of the building and then covered with fibreboard.

A new staircase will be constructed to allow access to the flat with an open plan kitchen and living space and single bedroom with ensuite shower room.

Coate Water: Swindon Borough Council will be allowed to install a new ticket office at the car park of the popular visitor attraction in time for the summer season.

Kingshill: A laundrette in Kent Road can be changed into two flats. Old Town Property Development has been given approval to convert the building on the corner of the terraced street into one one-bed flat, and one studio flat - an open plan bedroom and living space, with attached kitchen and shower room.

South Swindon Parish Council had objected saying the studio flat is too small according to national housing standards and the cycle and bin storage area is too small.

Wanborough: The existing house at 3 Church Road can be knocked down and replaced with another. Owner Martin Wilson of Marto Developments, based in Shrivenham, has been given permission to demolish the house and build a four-bedroom house on the site. The existing barn can be converted into a garage for the property.

Blunsdon St Andrew: Building companies Linden and Redrow Homes have asked for permission to remodel the land and public opens space at the Abbey Farm development in Tadpole Lane.

The work will include formal and informal play areas, play equipment, a multi-use games area, and hard and soft landscaping.

If approved work on the central play area will begin in the middle of February and the play equipment and the games area should be completed by the end of April.

Blunsdon: Park Home Life Ltd, the company which runs Blunsdon Caravan Park wants to expand.

At the moment static caravans which are used exclusively as homes for people over 50 take up less than half of the site of the park off Tadpole Lane in north Swindon.

The company has applied for confirmation that current planing permission does not limit the number of caravans to the current usage, and that it already has permission to put as many vans on site as space will allow. There are already more than 100 licensed for use.

Highworth: Paul and Kate Makin, who run Alpha Investment Asset Management Ltd want to convert a barn in the town of Highworth into a home.

The barn is next to Nauvoo Cottage in Cherry Orchard - it is connected to a garage which is then connected to the cottage. The three buildings create a square C shape.

If the plans are approved an upstairs floor would be created in the roof space for two bedrooms and a bathroom. Downstairs would be a kitchen and living room, with some of the triple garage given over to a utility and storage room for the house

Town Centre: Diners looking for middle-eastern food could soon be heading to Regent Circus. Restaurateur Mohammed Mahdi has applied for permission to put up signs at unit six of the entertainment and dining complex for Lamaya Lebanese Kitchen and Bar.

The unit is one vacated by burger restaurant Gourmet Burger Kitchen.

Lamaya also appears to be recruiting for kitchen and waiting staff.