Town to trial extended pedestrianised hours

Northbrook Street (pictured), Bridge Street, Bartholomew Street (north), Mansion House Street, Wharf Street, and Market Place are currently closed to traffic from 10:00 to 17:00

Pedestrianisation hours in a town centre will be extended by six hours, on a trial basis, a council has announced.

West Berkshire Council said the Department for Transport (DfT) had approved its application for Newbury Town Centre from 19 May.

Northbrook Street, Bridge Street, Bartholomew Street (north), Mansion House Street, Wharf Street and Market Place are currently closed to traffic from 10:00 to 17:00. This will be extended until 23:00.

The council said it would run a formal consultation, gathering feedback for the first six months of the trial, which will remain in place until a decision is made.

This follows a pre-trial public consultation between September and November 2024.

The council received 2,487 responses to the survey - 36.7% of which supported the proposed trial extension.

While the response had been "mixed", the authority said it believed "this now presents a valuable opportunity for the public to engage and share their views whilst a trial is carried out".

Stuart Gourley, executive member for the environment and highways, said the initiative was "important" for Newbury.

"Extending pedestrianisation has the potential to create a safer, greener, more vibrant town centre while supporting local businesses and promoting sustainability," he continued.

"This trial allows us to test the benefits, listen to residents and businesses and shape the future of our town centre together."