Old Town redevelopment of Kennet Shopping centre in Newbury is approved

The Old Town redevelopment of the Kennet Shopping centre in Newbury has been approved by West Berkshire Council.

The massive project that will transform much of the town centre got strong backing at a special western area planning committee last night (Wednesday), with only Independent councillor Adrian Abbs voting against.

Developer Lochailort’s Old Town plan will mean the demolition of most of the Kennet Shopping centre – to be replaced by a mainly mews house development, with 317 dwellings.

It will also incorporate areas of public communal and private amenity space and five new commercial units fronting Bartholomew Street and Market Place. This will be in addition to two reconfigured units.

Nando’s, Kung Fu and the Vue cinema will remain in place.

Both Thames Valley Police and the council’s housing team had raised some objections to the scheme.

Lochailort’s previous high-rise Eagle Quarter plan for the Kennet Shopping centre, which involved a selection of multi-storey blocks of flats, was rejected on appeal by the Government planning inspector for designs which would be overbearing for the character of Newbury.

Conservationists have been happier with the Old Town plans, with Historic England saying this revised scheme allows the shopping centre to be redeveloped on a scale that is much more sympathetic to the surrounding townscape.

The Newbury Society, which was one of the main objectors to the Eagle Quarter scheme for the Kennet Shopping centre, previously said: “We think it [Old Town] will be an asset to Newbury and to the town centre conservation area.

“Much thought has clearly gone into the preparation, the resulting internal views, and into the building facades.”

But it was still concerned with the height of one of the buildings in Cheap Street.

See Newburytoday later today for a full report of last night’s meeting.