Barclays Bank could become homes

Town's former High Street bank up for housing development

THE former Barclays Bank building in Hungerford High Street could be converted for residential use.

In June 2018, the Newbury Weekly News reported how Barclays was closing the branch.

Just weeks before, the town had lost its NatWest branch in the High Street.

At the time, Barclays cited a drop in over-the-counter transactions as the main reason for the closure decision.

The applicant is Mrs N Homa and no design and access statement has so far been submitted.

However, previous consultations between Mrs Homa and West Berkshire Council planners determined that the project did not fit the criteria for automatically permitted development.

Permitted development rights are an automatic grant of planning permission which allow certain building works and changes of use to be carried out without having to make a planning application.

In this instance, planners ruled, the building did not qualify because it is within the local Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB).

Hungerford Town Council’s environment and planning committee has yet to formally respond to the application.

Meanwhile it can be viewed in full, and commented on, by visiting the planning section of West Berkshire Council’s website and using the reference 19/03157/FUL.