Conservationists applaud Kennet Centre decision

Conservationists have applauded the rejection of the appeal made by developers who wanted to put up multi-storey blocks of flats to replace Newbury’s Kennet Shopping centre.

The government planning inspector quashed Lochailort’s ambitions to create what they called the Eagle Quarter.

The developer owns the run down Kennet Centre, and also has new plans for the area.

“This ‘Eagle Quarter’ development and its blocks of flats would have had a negative impact on the character of the town centre as a whole, and would compromise the setting of a number of listed buildings, including the Catherine Wheel and The Newbury,” said Dr David Peacock of the Newbury Society.

In a lengthy and detailed judgement, the inspector described the scheme as one with considerable harms and benefits, but concluded that the harm to the character of the town centre conservation area and its listed buildings outweighed the benefits.

It said that the taller blocks represent “the wrong architecture in the wrong place”.

In the view from Bear Lane, in particular, “the introduction of such overly dominant built form would jarringly stand out against the skyline”, the inspector added.

Overall, the report said, the scheme is one which appears to be “imposed on the historic townscape of [Newbury town centre] rather than integrating successfully with it”.

The appeal by Lochailort Investments Ltd was in support of a planning application lodged in 2023 and recommended by planning officers for approval, but rejected by councillors in January this year.

“The Newbury Society wishes to make it clear that we do not oppose modernisation or redevelopment of the Kennet Centre; we simply consider that any redevelopment should be in keeping with the existing character of the town, and if possible, enhance it,” added Dr Peacock.

“The Eagle Quarter plans for the Kennet Centre started off several years ago as 11-storey proposals, and were then reduced to 8.

“Most of the street-frontage in this area consists of two and three-storey buildings, allowing the town centre to retain a human and sympathetic scale.

“We would be happy to see some housing on this site, but still think it unacceptable that a development of over 420 flats should include no affordable housing at all. And although the circumstances of the appeal prevented us from pursuing this, we also think that the parking provision was well below what was needed.”

He thanked those who supported the campaign, including those who wrote letters criticising the proposals, those who signed the society’s petition against the development, and those who turned up for the appeal hearing in June.

“And thanks to all the members of The Newbury Society’s committee for their work in opposing this damaging development,” he added.