Redevelopment of Kersey Crescent - plans submitted

The site in Kersey Crescent, owned by Sovereign, currently consists of 75 two-bedroom flats in five blocks, all of which are to set to be demolished and replaced with 78 new homes, if a planning application gets the go-ahead.
The new buildings will be a mix of flats and houses, comprising two one-bedroom flats, 40 two-bedroom flats, two two-bedroom houses, 23 three-bedroom houses and 11 four-bedroom houses.
It would mean that 199 bedrooms would be available – an increase of 49 on the current total.
The plan also shows 153 private parking spaces, with an additional eight spaces set aside for visitor parking, and 156 cycle spaces.
Sovereign has been planning to redevelop the 1960s-built blocks of flats at 5-155 Kersey Crescent for several years.
By the late-2000s, the temporary letting of the flats became unsustainable owing to problems with heating and damp.
By August this year, only a small number of the properties were occupied and Sovereign said it planned to
re-home the remaining families.
Newbury Town Council has raised no objections to the redevelopment.
Talking at the council meeting on Monday, the head of development at Sovereign, Stuart Roberts, said that redevelopment was the only option.
He added that 23 properties would be allocated for social housing, which fitted West Berkshire Council’s minimum requirement of 30 per cent.
Ruwan Uderwerage-Perera (Lib Dem, Victoria) said that the scheme would provide much-needed accommodation but it was a shame that more social housing was not included.
West Berkshire Council is expected to make its final decision on the plans in February.