Feasibility study into proposed Faraday Plaza development

Faraday Developers Limited (FDL) gained planning permission for the estimated £50m mixed-use scheme in Newbury’s Faraday Road in May 2009, but the application expired last month, so a renewal application has now been submitted to West Berkshire Council.
However, even if planning permission is granted the land is owned by the district council, who are undertaking a feasibility study into the site to decide whether it should be developed.
FDL’s plans were backed by the town council in April, but the district council is expected to decide whether to grant planning permission at the next western area planning meeting on June 27.
The Newbury Society has also supported FDL’s proposals for the site off Faraday Road and Kelvin Road
Chairman of the society, Jeremy Holden-Bell said: “It is a much needed up market improvement to a very rundown area adjacent to the town centre.
“For this key development with its need to set a precedent for improving the adjacent area, the society expects an outstanding design. The new design should also recognise the now completed Parkway Shopping, and the changes that have been made subsequent to the original design.”
Environmental Health, Thames Water and Environment Agency have lodged no objections to the application, but have requested that a number of assessments are carried out, including a land contamination assessment and a surface water drainage scheme.
Environmental control officer at the Environmental Health, Mark Prickett said: “Given the past uses of the site, including the current light industrial use, a full contaminated land assessment is required at the site to determine and, if required, remove the risks to the planned end users.”