We're doomed Captain Mainwering, doomed.

I do have some reservations about it all being WBC's fault but there does seem to be a failure on their part for a lot of the difficulties that beset us. There has been a lack of investment for whatever reason in some of the assets and in particular, the Waterside which is planned for luxury apartments and has been allowed to deteriorate until eventually it becomes a H&S risk. This unusable building fits in nicely with the Wharf plans. Equally, the museum, closed until 2014 because it is a H&S risk due to inadequate attention to the fire regulations and then, it has been determined, that the Greenham Park building has also been allowed to deteriorate to such an extent that all the council can do is sell it off for development.

Cognosco touched on the failure to plan the road structure, typically, not purchasing and using the land where the Sun pub was for a major rethink of the Sainsbury roundabout so that the bridge from Parkway could have fed into the A339 without the old queues and of course failing to spend a little more and make the bridge two way. The finances were available when it was rebuilt, they easily found the cash to cobble the market place. Now, by allowing SLI to mess with the Parkway roads where the second anchor store is going is the last nail. The council introduced SLI to the town and gave huge concessions to allow them to do what they have done and then gave away most of what remained of the agreements back to SLI.

We have an overpowering building in the centre of the town called a Vue cinema. Thanks for that but how out of place can a building be. The irony is that they allow that great carbuncle and the huge KC signs to go up then moan about the Mango restaurant's signs on the railway bridge which bridge has to rank as the ugliest and most dangerous bridge for miles around.

They allowed water extraction without any thought of the consequences for the surrounding area, allowed private developers to close off roads in the town while they did what they wanted both in Market Street and now Parkway with the bridge closed because it suits SLI. Try and put a skip on the road for a day or so.

Quoted from BrianB

Although I am disappointed that there appears to be no interest in three of the units which front onto Northbrook Street.

I was quoted £38K a year ago for G21 - Negotiate me a deal and I might be interested Brian  

Quoted from PaulaM

I was quoted £38K a year ago for G21 - Negotiate me a deal and I might be interested Brian  

Surprisingly, landlords of Northbrook Street properties are not offering any concessions, even though the number of empty premises is increasing on a weekly basis. Prepare for an influx of tat shops and pedlars for Christmas.

Northbrook Street will be very quiet with the buses removed and everyone using the new underground car park. I just hope that the now much narrower thoroughfare previously known as Park Way (note the space between Park and Way) will be able to cope with Delivery lorries, buses, taxis, postal vehicles, security vans and of course thousands of shoppers.

I am convinced that a lot of ordinary motorists will be following the taxis over Parkway  Bridge. Still the ANPR cameras will be there to ensure they pay the appropriate penalty (and also to deter them from shopping in Newbury in the future).

Quoted from brian

We're doomed Captain Mainwering, doomed.

I do have some reservations about it all being WBC's fault but there does seem to be a failure on their part for a lot of the difficulties that beset us. There has been a lack of investment for whatever reason in some of the assets and in particular, the Waterside which is planned for luxury apartments and has been allowed to deteriorate until eventually it becomes a H&S risk. This unusable building fits in nicely with the Wharf plans. Equally, the museum, closed until 2014 because it is a H&S risk due to inadequate attention to the fire regulations and then, it has been determined, that the Greenham Park building has also been allowed to deteriorate to such an extent that all the council can do is sell it off for development.

Cognosco touched on the failure to plan the road structure, typically, not purchasing and using the land where the Sun pub was for a major rethink of the Sainsbury roundabout so that the bridge from Parkway could have fed into the A339 without the old queues and of course failing to spend a little more and make the bridge two way. The finances were available when it was rebuilt, they easily found the cash to cobble the market place. Now, by allowing SLI to mess with the Parkway roads where the second anchor store is going is the last nail. The council introduced SLI to the town and gave huge concessions to allow them to do what they have done and then gave away most of what remained of the agreements back to SLI.

We have an overpowering building in the centre of the town called a Vue cinema. Thanks for that but how out of place can a building be. The irony is that they allow that great carbuncle and the huge KC signs to go up then moan about the Mango restaurant's signs on the railway bridge which bridge has to rank as the ugliest and most dangerous bridge for miles around.

They allowed water extraction without any thought of the consequences for the surrounding area, allowed private developers to close off roads in the town while they did what they wanted both in Market Street and now Parkway with the bridge closed because it suits SLI. Try and put a skip on the road for a day or so.

I think this passage should be saved for anytime someone shows surprise at how we think the councils run the town.

Quoted from BrianB

Speaking personally, I cannot believe that there are members of this forum who want Parkway to fail.

Well, l I suppose there might possibly be posters who would like to be able to say 'I told you so'.   The only thing that's certain is that it's there and it's going to open and nothing posted here will make any difference at all to whether it does or not.  I certainly hope it's a success, but as with any other speculative investment it might and it might not. That's business. Presumably those who invested in it thought at the time that there was a reasonable chance it would succeed.

Quoted from BrianB

Although I am disappointed that there appears to be no interest in three of the units which front onto Northbrook Street.

Every cloud has a silver lining - add them to the list of possible locations for the arts centre/pavilion.

Seems to me that there's little point in discussing what's done and dusted.  

Those who are interested in the future of the town should focus on the aspects of the vision which haven't been implemented and ensuring that, whatever happens, it's in line with the majority of residents' views.  

I think we need a completely independent (ie not run by WBC) and thorough consultation on that.  Perhaps an referendum. If it turns out that the majority of people really would like to see a canal basin, new pubs and an arts pavilion in the park so be it, but we need to be really sure.

Don't we?

Quoted from noobree

Those who are interested in the future of the town should focus on the aspects of the vision which haven't been implemented and ensuring that, whatever happens, it's in line with the majority of residents' views.  

I think we need a completely independent (ie not run by WBC) and thorough consultation on that.  Perhaps an referendum. If it turns out that the majority of people really would like to see a canal basin, new pubs and an arts pavilion in the park so be it, but we need to be really sure.

Don't we?

I do believe  there should be a referendum and it should not be carried out by WBC or any one associated with them.
The economic climate has changed out of all proportion since the last Vision was published by WBC and the Newbury Few.
I have found the vast majority of Newbury residents I have spoken to are really against building on Victoria Park.
They also question why we need to build on the Wharf when there are empty shops and offices spread across Newbury.
The general consensus seems to be there are far more important things wrong with Newbury that need the Councils attention. Rather than fiddling with this and that, a complete rethink needs to be done regarding roads and infrastructure first.

I think you're all failing to appreciate what good news it is that Newbury is going to get a Hotel Chocolate store.  

Quoted from Whippet

I think you're all failing to appreciate what good news it is that Newbury is going to get a Hotel Chocolate store.  

You are female of course.

I have the feeling that most people who live in & around Newbury ( ie not the 20 or so perpetual doom-mongerers who post here ) will be very happy with Park Way when it opens.

It remains to be seen if SLI & the new tennants have their sums right.

Quoted from PaulaM

I was quoted £38K a year ago for G21 - Negotiate me a deal and I might be interested Brian  

Bargain.

Pretty cheap for Northbrook St.

Quoted from blackdog

Newbury/Thatcham is an urban area with a population of around 70,000 - in itself large enough to support a wide range of shopping.  However the shops we have and are about to get are not different enough to attract people from outside the area to come an shop here.  If they want to attract more people to Newbury they need to start considering it as a tourist/day-out destination - antique shops, secondhand/specialist book shops, other specialist shops, entertainment, cultural attractions (Tate Newbury anyone? - Andrew Lloyd Webber is looking for a home for his pre-Raphaelite collection), quality restaurants (why do celebrity chefs open restaurants in pubs around Newbury but not in the town?), decent hotels, drunken yobbo free evenings. How much of this could have been built in the space wasted on Parkway?

Towns like this can only survive where there is already a healthy tourist draw, or where the town's locations makes it distant enough from competing neighbours.