The hopes of the owner of a popular Indian restaurant in Old Town to demolish a building used as storage and put a new one in its place have been almost definitively quashed.

Rokib Ali, who runs Biplob in Wood Street, wanted to remodel his business set-up.

He applied for permission to knock down an old two-storey attached to the rear of the restaurant, which is used as a storage for food and equipment like chairs and tables.

His application said: “This building which is clearly ‘old’ is in a relatively poor state of repair with some evidence of a leaking roof.

"It is constructed principally of stone partly rendered and painted with evidence along its north flank of several in-fills---in different materials—to cover various historic window and door patterns.

“The north wall also demonstrates a considerable ‘bulging’ along its length with some cracks. The southern aspect wall also demonstrates cracking and in-filling of various materials.

“The building does not appear to have any architectural or historical ‘merit’.”

Mr Ali wanted to replace it with a bigger building with a food preparation and storage area on the ground floor and two-bed flats on the first and second floors for the manager and head chef.

He also wanted to put another additional storey to the existing flat roof rear extension.

The plan was opposed by several neighbours and South Swindon Parish Council who had concerns about the removal of light and loss of privacy in Goddard Court.

Swindon Borough Council planners turned down Mr Ali’s plan on the grounds of poor design and an unacceptable impact on neighbours.

Mr Ali appealed against this decision to a Government-appointed planning inspector.

He told the inspector, Jonathan Edwards, that windows in the two flats would be of opaque glass, to prevent intrusions on neighbours’ privacy.

Mt Mr Edwards was not impressed. In his decision, he wrote: “Some of these windows would serve lounge and dining areas, as the only windows.

"A requirement for obscured glazing would lead to an unacceptable living environment for occupants of the proposed accommodation.

"I am aware of no reasonable measure that could be secured so as to prevent an intrusive loss of privacy to Goddard Court residents.”

Mr Edwards also found the proposed new building would harm the character of the Conservation Area in Wood Street and turned down Mr Ali’s appeal.

That is normally where such matters end, although Mr Ali is able to take his application to the High Court, should he wish.