Bid to pause London Road Industrial Estate project in Newbury is rejected
Phased approach to redevelopment will go ahead as planned
Bid to pause London Road Industrial Estate project in Newbury is rejected
Phased approach to redevelopment will go ahead as planned
Thu, 14 Jan 2021
Newbury Town Council objects to converting Faraday Road into open recreational space
“Sport is clearly a much better use of the ground rather than general recreation”
Fri, 15 Jan 2021
Proposal for football ground at Newbury Rugby Club welcomed but more detail needed
Newbury Community Football Group responds to Step 6 facility project as nine risks identified
Fri, 22 Jan 2021
‘Ambitious’ West Berkshire Council timetable for new football ground at Newbury Rugby Club
Council to negotiate with club with aim of March 2022 completion
Tue, 26 Jan 2021
Concerns over suitability of Greenham’s Diamond for football ground site
West Berkshire Council has identified area as ‘plan B’ should Newbury Rugby Club option fail
Sat, 24 Oct 2020
West Berkshire Council refuses to apologise for ‘blunder’ which cost taxpayers almost £1mPublic money has ‘gone to waste due to poor project management’ claims opposition leader
Sat, 24 Oct 2020
Faraday Road football ground in Newbury being used as a ‘cash cow’ by West Berkshire CouncilTown councillors express concern it is being used to fund rest of LRIE development
Thu, 22 Oct 2020
Taxpayer cost of closing Faraday Road football ground in Newbury revealed. West Berkshire Council kicked Newbury Football Club out the ground in 2018
16th October
Council refuses to apologise for £1 million London Road Industrial Estate blunder
Thu, 03 Sept 2020
Council to be quizzed over plan to redevelop London Road Industrial EstateNewbury resident will ask whether businesses will be forced out when regeneration gets underway
Fri, 28 Aug 2020
Plans to regenerate Newbury’s London Road Industrial Estate move a step closerNew development brief has been published and gives two options for redevelopment
Wed, 12 Aug 2020
Unanswered questions over West Berkshire Council inquiry into London Road procurement process’A lot of the questions that the public and the press wanted answering are likely to go unanswered’
Mon, 20 Jul 2020
Newbury FC may be forced to permanently relocate to ThatchamConsultation finds no ideal site for new ground
From West Berkshire Council website:
We’d like your views on the Avison Young Draft Development Brief for regenerating the London Road Industrial Estate (LRIE).
https://info.westberks.gov.uk/draftdevelopmentbrief
The survey is open until midnight on 20 October 2020.
https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/draftdevelopmentbrief
NCFG comment summary (full version here):
The AV brief provided by West Berkshire Council is narrow, restrictive and prescriptive and designed to provide the predetermined output that certain members of WBC wanted which is a housing led scheme
The report should have been a thorough, open, impartial and evidence-based assessment of ALL options for the LRIE
The Football ground should not be included as part of the London Road Industrial Estate (LRIE) at it has been in its current location since 1963 which predated proposals to establish an industrial estate at the beginning of the 1970s, shortly before the abolition of Newbury Borough Council. The boundary of redevelopment should therefore exclude the football ground, as it excludes Newspaper House
Why is there no mention of the opportunity to enhance or redevelop any part of the area for sports or leisure facilities
The draft report totally ignores the fact that the current football ground, which is on a site of 3 acres and is open space / green infrastructure and will be lost. Why does the report not make it clear that the masterplan will result in a net loss of green infrastructure / open space?
The draft report acknowledges that the LRIE is in a flood risk area and the Newspaper House, next to the football ground was refused planning by WBC due to the flood risk and the Government Planning Inspectorate upheld this decision
The draft report lists Newbury Community Football Groups CIC planning application as a significant (planning) application within the LRIE but then totally ignores it as an option
As a minimum the report should have looked at the option of retaining the football round at its current location especially in light of the fact that WBC still has no alternative / replacement venue and the obvious planning challenges that will be faced if flats are to be built on the football ground.
The draft report does not acknowledge the status and importance of the current football ground, which is disappointing as the football ground is clearly and well defined within the West Berkshire Core Strategy (2006 – 2026) Development Plan Document which was adopted in July 2012
The football ground in Faraday Road is specifically classified as a cultural facility, as a consequence, the facility is protected from redevelopment. An application for planning permission or reclassification (under the forthcoming Local Plan) would have to justify an alternative use.
From a planning perspective there can be no doubt whatsoever that the football ground is covered (and should be protected) by both the Town and Country Act 1990 and the National Planning Policy Framework – February 2019.
The report does not provide any detail behind the numbers provided, for example what does the Total Acquisition Costs of £0.5m (plot 2) and £0.4m (plot 4) cover? It is more likely these accusation costs are several million pounds
When has it been assumed that the relocated football ground will be operational?
How much has been allocated for sustainable drainage?
How much has been allocated for decontamination?