WICHELSTOWE: The next tranche of 184 houses at Wichelstowe has come several steps closer.

The developers of the huge expansion have put in details of the lay-out and design of the houses to be built on Parcel 7 off Scott Way on part of the site called The Orchards, to the north west of the canal basin.

RODBOURNE: A very particular type of dog-grooming parlour could get retrospective permission.

Daniella Malcolm-Stewart runs Woody’s Holistic Grooming and Co-operative Care Salon from the garage of the house she shares with her husband  at 1 Fosse Close in Rodbourne.

In her application to change the use of the garage into a salon, which has been used to groom dogs for four years, Mrs Malcolm-Stewart explains the dogs of her clients have specific needs.

She sayd: “There is a serious need for a groomer of her knowledge and experience. Many existing clients have expressed a fear of what they would do if the service was to cease operating.

“Applicant specialises in grooming dogs who find handling by humans difficult and or have issues being around other dogs.

"The majority of dogs the applicant grooms have either been referred to her from behaviorists, other groomers who are concerned about the dog’s wellbeing or behaviour during the grooming process, or guardians who want their dogs to be given more choices during grooming.”

One change proposed is to install a door with frosted glass, which will let light in, but prevent nervous dogs form seeing people or cars going past.

HAYDON WICK: An unusual development of three houses, where one house has a tunnel though it to allow the residents of the other two to get home has been approved by the planning committee.

Developer P Vadsola of Hounslow can  build three houses on the garden of 6 High Street in the village.

The two-storey property proposed for the for the front of the plot giving on to the street would actually be a single-bed upstairs flat, with the ground floor being given to a garage and a tunnel for vehicles to access the more conventional three-bed semi-detached homes at the rear of the plot.

HAYDON WICK: Ray Gibson’s proposal to build a two-storey side extension to his house at 8 Angelica Close has been refused.

Planners said: “It is considered that the proposed two storey side extension reflects poor design which is unsympathetic in form, bulk and scale to the host dwelling which in turn creates an incongruous addition to the streetscene. This poor design also hinders the amenity of future occupiers due to the lack of amenity space.”

BROADGREEN: Also refused was a Mr Ali’s plan to extend 94 Manchester Road at the back and convert the single home into three separate flats. The decision by planners said: “The proposed development constitutes an overdevelopment of the site which would result in a poor standard of living for future occupants in respect of internal space, with two of the flats failing to achieve the minimum nationally described space.

“There is not sufficient outlook, natural light, and access to adequate external amenity space. The proposal would not therefore achieve a high-quality living environment.”

EXTENSIONS: Applications have been lodged to build extensions to houses, or outbuildings or to convert lofts and outbuildings to habitable rooms at: 6 Bampton Grove, Old Walcot; 40 Prospect Place, Old Town; 82 Ermin Street Stratton St Margaret; 41 Beverley, Toothill; 2 Grove Cottages, Hinton Parva lane, Hinton Parva; 92 Croft Road, Old Town; 48 Burnet Close, Haydon Wick; 1 Avenue Road, Old Town and 278 Cheney Manor Road, Moredon.

Such applications have been approved for: 5 Darius Way, Abbey Meads; Blenheim, Thornhill Road, South Marston; 6 the Mountings, Wroughton; 14 Longfellow Close, Stan Andrews; 14 Ecklington, Eldene; 14 Maskeleyne Way, Wroughton; 31 Banwell Avenue, Park North; 9 Oliver Close, The Prinnels, Lydiard Tregoze