Newbury Kennet Centre flats plan rejected by campaigners

Lochailort has submitted a third set of proposals for the Kennet Centre site

Revised plans for a town centre development are "completely unsatisfactory", campaigners have said.

Proposals by developer Lochialort for an up-to-nine-storey building with 367 flats at the Kennet Centre site, in Newbury, Berkshire, were refused in May.

A new planning application - the third version - has reduced the height of multi storey blocks of flats.

The company insists the proposals would "revitalise" the town centre.

Lochailort has previously submitted two planning applications, both of which were refused by West Berkshire Council.

The developer had lodged appeals to the Planning Inspectorate but these have now been withdrawn.

The earlier plans were described as too tall and "out of character" for Newbury.

The latest proposals, for what it calls Eagle Quarter II, would see the partial demolition of the retail centre and the building of blocks no higher than eight storeys.

'Historic context'

The Newbury Society has launched a petition against the new plans, saying they did "little to address" the overall concerns about the height of the new blocks, within an area of mainly two and three-storey buildings.

The society's Eleanor Mullens said: "These plans are still completely unsatisfactory as they have only made minor concessions to their original application and have not addressed the main issues of affordable housing, parking for their flats, amenity space requirements, and the sheer height and bulk of their proposals which are only slightly reduced."

In its planning statements, Lochailort said the proposals were an "opportunity to enhance" the town centre.

"The development aims to better reveal both the appearance and this historic context of the site taking its cues from the past uses of the site and the wider vernacular of Newbury town centre."

The official consultation period continues until 2 November.