A disused factory in the closely-packed streets of central Swindon can be turned into flats.

When developer Red Lane Properties Ltd first put in its plans in 2021 the company wanted to turn the empty factory at 44-46 Radnor Street in Eastcott into 14 flats.

In discussions with planning officers and after several objections from neighbours the developer revised its plans down to 11 apartments in the red brick building.

But the proposals which have been given the go-ahead still mean that another storey will have to be constructed onto the two-storey block.

The application submitted by Red Lane Properties said: “There will be minimal impact on neighbouring properties, as many of the surrounding buildings have been converted with similar proposals. Many of the neighbouring properties are of two- or more-storey height, including adjacent buildings.

“This application, which has been carefully designed so that it causes no harm to neighbours or to the street scene, would enable the site to provide good-sized residential units.

“It is therefore considered that this application is consistent with sustainable planning aims to make full use of existing developed land in urban areas.”

But neither South Swindon Parish Council nor some neighbouring residents were convinced by these arguments.

One immediate neighbour wrote: “I wish to object to these plans as adding another floor on will cause significant disruption and possible damage to my own building.

“If the second floor is directly on top of what is standing already,  then the loft conversion in my property with skylights will be directly overlooked by this building.

“The surrounding streets are pretty bad for parking as it is and adding flats is only going to make that worse for all residents in the area.”

The parish council objected on 10 separate grounds, including the lack of parking, the size of two flats contravening building regulations, a lack of any outdoors space for residents, and the impact on neighbours of the third storey.

The revised plans reduced the size of the third storey to just the front elevation of the building, holding two flats rather than the four originally proposed.

A communal garden using interior courtyard space was also added to the proposal addressing one of the points made by the parish council.

The changes to the proposals won round Swindon Borough Council planners who said:” The site previously housed a light industrial use, the organisation has relocated and while the loss of the employment use weighs against the application it is considered that the predominantly residential area would be more suitable to a residential conversion.”