Plans for the Sterling Industrial Estate development amended

The land, said to be one of the most contaminated in Berkshire according to the Environment Agency which will cost an estimated £2 million to clean up, is the former home of Sterling Cables and has been the subject of a protracted tug-of-war between the district council and developers in recent years.
Earlier plans to build a modern housing development on the site were refused in October 2010, but the developer, Nelson Geneva returned with a fresh application in October 2011, which it has now amended.
The number of proposed dwellings for the site has been reduced from 190 to 166, with one car parking space per property, and a total of 318 bicycle spaces.
Some of the buildings have been reduced from three storeys to two storeys, with other dwellings moved further away from existing boundaries.
The highest building within the plans is seven storeys, with the taller units to be located adjacent to the railway line.
A path for a link road from Kings Road, rather than Boundary Road, to SCATS Roundabout has also been promised by Nelson Geneva, following a request by the district council.
Architect for the development, Ian Blake of Sutton Griffin Architects, who provided the illustration above, said it decided to amend its plans following concerns raised by residents and councillors.
Mr Blake, who said the amount of affordable housing was up for negotiation, added: “We’ve created some bigger family units which we think is more appropriate for the town centre because we have lots of flats being constructed at the racecourse and at Parkway.”
Newbury Town Council’s planning committee discussed the amended plans at a meeting last Wednesday night.
In January, the committee objected to application on the grounds of high density, lack of parking, overlooking of Gordon Road, increased traffic onto Kings Road, and the loss of a protection line for a link road.
However, at Wednesday’s meeting the committee raised no objections to the application, but asked for the existing gate in Gordon Road to be removed to retain the separate identities of both housing estates.
The committee also requested that a wall to be erected between Gordon Road and the proposed development to act as a sound barrier.
The application is likely to be decided by the district council’s western area planning committee on June 27.