No damage to heritage of historic Newbury brewery

Detail on application for 10 flats at Phoenix House submitted

THE conversion of a historic, Grade II-listed building in Newbury's Bartholomew Street to provide 10 flats will not damage the heritage of the building, the developer has promised.

Planning permission for the conversion of 18th century Phoenix House, the former home of Phoenix Brewery, into residential use was granted in 2013, however developer Goldfinch Homes Ltd has submitted this application to provide detailed information on how the listed building would be affected by the development.

Goldfinch Homes has said that there will be no demolition of any part of the listed buildings to numbers 50, 51 or 52 Bartholomew Street, no structural alterations, and no chemicals which will harm any of the heritage assets will be used. In addition, all new partitions will be non-loadbearing, constructed in timber and plasterboard, for ease of future removal or alterations.

The statement continued: “The additional information now provided indicates that the final proposals result in the best possible solution and offers a practical method of restoring the listed elements.

“The scheme seeks to restore the three buildings into its original residential status so that they might once again be used and enjoyed in a suitable manner.

“This will preserve them for future generations by ensuring that individuals living in it are maintaining and caring for them.

“We believe that the scheme proposed strikes the right balance between minor intrusive works and the wider benefit of ensuring a new use.”

The updated plans went before Newbury Town Council’s planning and highways committee on Monday night.

Committee member Anthony Pick (Con, St Johns), who is also the vice-chairman of the Newbury Society, said: “This particular building is on my list of listed buildings at risk.

“This building has not been occupied for sometime.

“Buildings that are not occupied deteriorate. It’s a very fine, early 18th-century building. It’s one of the distinguishing features of Bartholomew Street. The longer it remains unoccupied, the more it will deteriorate.

“The only way to keep these buildings in existence is to give them use.”

The town council voted to propose no objection to the scheme.