Councillors back St Bart's sixth form conversion

Plans to create 47 new homes at the Newbury school's Wormestall site receive support from town council

DETAILED plans for the redevelopment of the former sixth form site at St Bartholomew's School are "acceptable", according to Newbury town councillors.

Planning permission was granted in March 2009 for the redevelopment of the Newbury site to include 47 new homes, which includes the conversion of the existing Victorian school building at Wormestall into 14 apartments.

Outline permission, including details of the siting, building heights and means of access, for 33 new dwellings on land that fronts Enborne Road and Buckingham Road was also granted.

And now, following a successful display of the plans to immediate neighbours in November, detailed designs have now been drawn up for the 33 dwellings - a mix of four one-bedroom units, eight three-bedroom dwellings and 21 four-bedroom dwellings - and submitted to West Berkshire Council for consideration.

The application, submitted by Hampshire-based housebuilder Linden Homes Southern, seeks permission for the building designs and matters relating to landscaping; the varying building heights of between 1.5 storey and three-storey were already approved at the outline application stage.

Sixty-five car parking spaces will also be provided as part of the plans, while a 30 per cent provision of affordable homes will also be delivered.

Last night (Monday), planning consultant John O'Donovan said the plans would deliver an attractive scheme that would make a positive contribution to the area's character and appearance.

Town councillor, Richard Kingsley Evans (Con, St Johns), said the plans were “acceptable” and the committee unanimously raised no objections to the plans.

Together with the full permission for the redevelopment of the historic Edwardian Luker building, which was saved after much public outcry and will now be converted into 22 apartments with a separate new build of 15 apartments, the two sites will produce 84 new homes when the development is complete.

The two sites have remained vacant since pupils at the secondary school moved into new multi-million pound purpose-built sustainable school in November.

A decision is due to be made on the detailed plans for the Wormestall site by April.