Plans to build Aldi supermarket, 75 homes, care home and hospice next to Newbury College approved by West Berkshire Council

Plans to build a supermarket, 75 homes, a care home and a hospice on land next to Newbury College have been approved.

Greenham Trust, Aldi and construction company Feltham Group submitted their proposal for the mixed-use development on greenfield land between Newbury College and the A339 in December 2021.

Some amendments were made to this proposal in 2023, and West Berkshire Council granted planning permission for the large-scale project last week.

The original plans sought to build 85 residential properties, but this was reduced to 75 following discussions between the developers and West Berkshire planners.

Of the 75 homes, 33 of them will be a mix of two to four bed houses, and the remaining 42 will be one and two bed flats. There will be a total of 149 parking spaces for residents.

According to the plans, the developers and planners have reached an agreement that the scheme will provide 40 per cent of the homes as affordable housing.

The new Aldi supermarket will be built to the north of the site, with access to the store coming from the Newbury College roundabout.

The 1,800 square metre supermarket will provide 128 parking spaces for customers and an EV charging station will also be built to the north of the Aldi car park.

The care home and hospice will be built to the south of the site, just north of the household waste recycling centre. Access to these will come from Highwood Copse Way.

A public open space with a playground is also included in the development plans, and footpaths connecting residential properties to the bus stop on the A339 will also be created.