BROADGREEN: Swindon Mosque, on the corner of Broad Street and Ponting Street is looking to expand.

The application would see a second storey built on top of the one-storey extension to its main building. It would fill in the gap between the temple and the neighbouring building on the upper floor. The application says the mosque needs more prayer and teaching space.

MOREDON: Another place of worship, Rodbourne Cheney Baptist Church, has been given permission to install a modified shipping container in Pembroke Gardens recreation ground.

The church will put the container, which will have doors and windows installed, just behind the houses backing on the playing fields from Abbey View Road.

It will be used as a community resource for a local church network Swindon Churches Together.

It will provide “family and youth activities, storage for equipment for play activities, as well as providing general space for wider community activities, mentoring, pastoral support and local resident-led activities".

PARK NORTH: The owner  of 79 Whitbourne Avenue, Geraldo Oliveira proposed building a two-bedroom house on the side of his property – a semi-detached house- creating a short terrace of three on the corner with Kingswood Avenue.

This has been turned down by council planners, who said: “The introduction of a two-storey end of terrace dwelling will erode the openness of this prominent roundabout junction, creating a visually prominent terraced block that would distort the building line of properties to the rear along this part of Kingswood Avenue, and unbalancing the pair of semis to the detriment of the street scene and character of the area.”

TOWN CENTRE: Swindon Borough Council will be able to turn part of the civic offices in Euclid Street into an art gallery and museum.

The authority had to apply to its own planning department to be able to designate the offices and rooms on the first floor of the listed civic building into a display area for some of the Swindon Collection. That has been largely under wraps for more than two years since the previous art gallery and museum in Apsley House closed, and never re-opened- at the start of the Covid-19 lockdowns.

A lift for visitors will be constructed so they can view the collection displayed on the first floor.

EXTENSIONS: Applications have been made to build extensions or outbuildings or convert outbuildings to habitable rooms at: 6 Anthony Road, Wroughton; 23 Carisbrooke Terrace, Chiseldon; 143 Morris Street, Rodbourne; 23 Cleeve Lawns, Lawn; 8 Rawlings Close, South Marston; 25 Leverton Gate, Broome Manor; 42 Priory Green, Highworth; 96, The Mall, Old Town; 11 Moredon Road, Moredon; Grove House Front Lane, Blunsdon; and 4 Cardigan Close, Lawn.

Applications have been approved for: 11 Withering Road, Old Town; 19 Copse Avenue, Blunsdon St Andrew; 141 Swindon Road, Stratton St Margaret; 9 Devizes Road, Wroughton; 30 The Willows, Highworth; 19 Briar Fields, Marshgate; 228 Queens Drive; 122 Southbrooke Street, Rodbourne; 30 The Willows, Highworth; 7 Wills Avenue, Marshgate; 41 Beverley, Toothill; 6 Granary Close, Nine Elms; 34 Capesthorne Drive, Haydon Wick;  144 Penhill Drive, Penhill; 44 Moresby Close, Westlea; 21 Clary Road, Haydon Wick; 190 Grange Drive, Stratton St Margaret and 2 Manor Orchard, Wanborough.

A plan to build a new garage at 112 Rosebery Street in Broadgreen was refused. Planners said: “The proposal is considered to be too large with the resulting garden space too small, thus harming the amenity of the occupants.

The garage is below the standards for a parking space and as such there will be a loss of parking at the property, potentially leading to increased pressure on the surrounding residents on-street parking zones and/or leading to indiscriminate parking in the vicinity.”