The following are planning applications, appeals, decisions and more from Wiltshire, recently:

20/03407/FUL: Plans to transform a former church into flats have been given the green light.

Ingenic Developments of Trowbridge applied to Wiltshire Council for a change of use application for the United Church on Church Street, Trowbridge.

Planning officers granted permission to the developer for the bid which is a material variation of the consented 26 unit application. The earlier approved plans saw the church, and surroundings for 26 properties. Trowbridge Town Council gave no objection to the plans as there would be no adverse impact on the area.

Kez Garner of Invest In Trowbridge and Trowbridge Chamber of Commerce, said: “I have been following the planning application for the ex URC site in Church street with keen interest as it is a beautiful landmark site, well located in the Centre of Trowbridge.

If the development goes ahead it will create 29 homes within walking distance of local shops, amenities and the Station, reducing the need for car usage and boosting the local economy.

“I cannot think of a better way to maintain this and the surrounding stunning buildings in perpetuity. I wholeheartedly support this application.”

20/06840/FUL: A solar farm will soon be installed near Melksham.

Adam Withers applied to the council to construct a solar barn and battery storage facility to the north of the Melksham substation.

Wiltshire Council granted Mr Withers the planning permission but not all will be pleased with the decision.

Commenting on the plans, Maggie Hughes said: “The noise and potential Health and Safety issues in the event of a fire in the Lithium battery storage units is alarming.

“I and many others would like the panels in this area removed.”

Another objector, Emma Smith said: “According to the plans it looks like the development is predominantly on flat land, hidden from view behind fields and native hedging.

However, the fields due east of Daniels Wood, are on a hill, sitting 50ft of unrestricted views directly above Westlands Lane.

“The revised plans appear to have removed the solar panels directly alongside Westlands Lane to help protect the character of the area, but the solar panels are still included on large sections of the hill, which is a prominent feature on the landscape, viewed from Westlands Lane, The Laurels, Chapel Lane and the A350.

“By placing solar panels on a hill means they will be the dominant feature of the area and not hidden behind any native heading and trees at the bottom of the hill, as the plans suggest.”

PL/2021/10944: A bid to build an extension and convert a Froxfield garage has been refused by the council.

Mr Shaw Hardie of Dunbrook, Manor Park, Froxfield, made a bid to the council to build a single-storey rear extension and to convert his garage leaving the front as an existing store.

The plans sought to insert new windows and doors at the rear-facing wall of the garage and to knock through an internal wall from the existing kitchen into the newly converted garage.

In rejecting the idea planning officers said it was declined because the development did not meet the requirements under the Town and Country Planning Order.

PL/2021/09451: An application to demolish a bungalow and build a new family home in its place have been canned. Mr and Mrs Symon of Henley Wood, Henley Lane, Henley near Box had their bid rejected.

They had bid to demolish their current bungalow and replace it with a detached house with a new entrances and lay-by onto Henley Lane.

In their rejection, planning officers said: “The proposed development is located outside of any defined settlement boundary and within the Green Belt.

“The development is considered to be materially larger that the building it seeks to replace, resulting in inappropriate development within open countryside and the Green Belt which is, by definition, harmful.

The application fails to demonstrate that there are any material considerations or very special circumstances that exist to outweigh this harm and overcome the presumption against such development.