New face for Newbury as restaurant chain Bill's seeks permission for Carter Jonas unit

Restaurant chain Bill’s has applied for a formal change of use for 16 to 18 Market Place.
If approved, the ground floor of the restaurant could cater for up to 134 people, plus 34 outside, while the first floor would have a function room, staff facilities, storage and customer toilets.
The kitchen would also be located on the first floor.
A formal date for the opening, subject to permission, has not yet been confirmed, however a spokesperson for the chain said it was hoped to be open by early autumn.
The proposed opening hours are 8am to 11pm Monday to Saturday and 8am to 10.30pm on Sundays.
The restaurant would also provide around 40 full-time and five part-time jobs for the local area.
Partner at the Newbury Carter Jonas, Rupert Reeves, said that due to staff restructuring, a number of Carter Jonas had been transferred to Oxfordshire.
However, he added that the estate agency firm would not be leaving the town, and would retaining the top floor of the Market Place office and was also seeking a change of use for number 51 Northbrook Street for its sales and lettings and survey evaluation services.
“We don’t need such a large premises,” he said. “Also, the market square is no longer the hype of activity in the day that it used to be, it’s more of a leisure location.”