Six shortlisted for London Road development scheme

Developers were invited to propose ideas for the 25-acre site, which includes the Faraday Road area, in February, and on Monday a partner at property consultants Strutt and Parker, Brian Raggett, revealed on behalf of West Berkshire Council that Frontier Estates, St Modwen, Wilson Bowden, Bride Hall, Guildhouse, and Kier had been shortlisted.
He added that the council hoped to announce the successful candidate by the end of the year.
He said: “The companies that have been selected understand what West Berkshire Council want to achieve.
“The excitement [begins] when we start to transform eyesores into something we can all be proud of.
“There will be potential for new homes [and] a range of new business uses to replace and update what’s there today.”
The plans will include a new access road onto the A339, and are likely to see a number of the current businesses and organisations, including Newbury Football Club, relocated.
Mr Raggett added that a number of the successful businesses, including some of the motor dealerships, would remain.
The shortlisting was welcome news for the director of Faraday Developments Limited (FDL), Duncan Crook, who has put forward a planning application for a supermarket, 150,000sq ft of office space, a 100-room hotel, residential units, a crèche, care home and community and health care facilities, dubbed as the Faraday Plaza.
It gained planning permission in May 2009, but with the application due to expire, a renewal application was submitted to West Berkshire Council on March 30 2012. A decision is yet to be made.
FDL, which already owns over three-acres of the site, is working in partnership with Wilson Bowden on the scheme.
Mr Crook said: “We are very keen to work with the council and the wider estate, we have land there and are committed to developing that land and forming a partnership with the council.
“We have put a very strong proposal forward and we hope the council is going to recognise our significant investment to date.
“Our land is ready to be developed - we are ready to go.”
The executive portfolio holder for planning at West Berkshire Council, Pamela Bale (Con, Brimpton) said: “This is a key step in a project that will make a major contribution to the future economic wellbeing of Newbury’s commercial and industrial sector.
“This is the biggest industrial estate in the town, and to capitalise on its potential it must be regenerated.
“The project will contribute significantly to the economic prospects of Newbury and the surrounding district, ultimately bringing benefits to all those who live and work here.”