Thursday 21 March 2024

Gremlin update: our website migration to a dedicated server in the UK is scheduled for 11am on Monday 25 March so the website and emails might be down for a couple of hours. Hopefully after that all the problems we’ve recently had will be solved. It will double our hosting costs but should be money well spent if the website doesn’t crash any more. Huge thanks to those who’ve donated recently to help us keep the show on the road. If you are considering making a donation, please see here for the options.

Our usual round-up of  local news includes a concert, a crier, canal risks the Lido and roadworks – plus a look at the serious consequences of motorway run-off which is affecting the Lambourn downstream of Easton and the Aldi supermarket application .  See also below for community notices and news from your local council.

Upcoming Newbury events include fundraising concert and jumble sale. See below for details, plus regular events and group activities.

• Aldi

WBC’s Western Area Planning Committee met on 20 March to consider three applications, of rather different sizes: a shed in Cold Ash; a temporary dwelling in Hampstead Marshall; and an 1,800 square-metre supermarket in Newbury. Let no one say that the matters that come before WAPC are not varied.

The summary of the last item was: ”

(1) Full planning permission for a food store with a floor area of 1800 square metres (Use Class E(a)) together with drainage, parking and associated access, infrastructure, and landscaping.

(2) Outline planning permission (matters to be considered: access) for up to 75 residential units (Use Class C3) high-capacity Electric Vehicle (EV) charging area, and residential care accommodation, containing up to 70 beds (Use Class C2), together with open space, play space, drainage, parking and associated access, infrastructure, landscape, bund on the eastern boundary with the A339, ancillary and site preparation works.”

You can see the full details of the application here.

The matter had been called in in November 2022 on the grounds that the application was at that time “premature” and needed to await more information on Sandleford’s ponderous progress and also further on the effect on the local roads. Discussions have since happened and the application has been amended: as a result, the call-in was still valid.

After discussion, it was concluded that there were no planning reasons for the proposal to be refused, so it was approved (by eight to one) with the usual raft of conditions. You can see the agenda of the meeting by clicking here: this also includes a video of the discussion. The minutes will be published here when available.

Some of the objections were from Tesco, which of course has a large supermarket nearby. Anyone can object to (or support) any application. The officers and, if it gets to that stage, the committee members need carefully to decide what weight if any should be given to any comments and to balance the various issues. Their job is to decide matters on grounds of planning policy and progress, not to act as arbitrators between different commercial interests.

On this occasion, the WAPC members clearly felt that, in planning terms, the matter was acceptable. The same dispassionate consideration, though with rather less debate, was also applied to the matter of the shed.

• A toxic cocktail

On 2 February, the BBC published an article about investigations by Charlotte Hitchmough from Action for the River Kennet (ARK) into the water that runs off from the M4 and ends up in the SAC and SSSI-protected River Lambourn, which it crosses at Easton. The Environment Agency (EA) doesn’t regularly monitor this pollution source but did do some testing up-and downstream of the ingress point, as did ARK.

There were, Charlotte Hitchmough explained, some “really scary pollutants in there – things like arsenic, lots of heavy metals, lots of things from oil, microplastics from tyres. We can be sure that the road is having a really negative effect on the ecology of this river.” This is one issue that can’t be laid at the door of Thames Water: Highways England (HE) is responsible for this.

I spoke to Charlotte Hitchmough about this on 20 March to see what had happened since then. Depressingly little, it appears. Despite being asked by the EA to sort the problem out, HE eventually said that it didn’t regard it as a high-priority problem and the EA decided not to push the matter. This rather makes one wonder what the purpose of a regulator is.

She also drew my attention to an excellent article published by the Chartered Institute of Water and Environmental Management (CIWEM) and Stormwater Shepherds. This refers to “a quirk in the application of the Environmental Quality Standards Directive [which means that] no-one measures the level of these pollutants downstream of road crossings.” It also gloomily suggested that perhaps “this problem has been firmly lodged in the too-hard box for too long and no one wants to take it out.”

High time it was, for the issue is every bit as serious as that of sewage and slurry. At least with these two you can often see or smell the harmful results. With road run-off, you can’t.

CIWEM says that it will soon be publishing a report looking at the issue and suggesting a number of solutions, which will range from better management of the existing infrastructure to the creation of nature-based mitigation measures reed beds. (The matter should also be being addressed in the government’s updated National Chemical Strategy, when that finally appears). It recognises, however, that all of this comes with a huge price tag.

The problem, as we’re discovering with so many things, is that important decisions that seemed sensible or acceptable at the time are now realised to be anything but. I don’t know what environmental standards prevailed when the M4 was built in the 1970s, but I suspect that the Lambourn was seen as little more than a convenient ready-made ditch for dealing with the immediate problem of getting the water off the motorway. That’s certainly how it’s been treated since.

It’s now clear that the infrastructure was in many cases built in the wrong way. It’s as if every house in the country was designed to have its sewage outlet going into the bath and millions were built that way before it was realised that this wasn’t a great idea.

A new approach is now being promoted by the Sustainable Solutions for Water and Nature (SSWAN) – this article has more than its fair share of acronyms – which would “shift regulation towards catchment-based approaches to support cheaper, more innovative, more collaborative projects that more accurately reflect local priorities.” The precondition for this, Charlotte Hitchmough stressed, was a thorough survey of the entire water management system – natural, man-made, fresh, foul, run-off: the lot – of the catchment area.

This would involve Thames Water, the EA, the lead flood authority (WBC in this case), parish councils and local experts, and charities, pressure groups and rivers trusts such as ARK. Everyone would need to embark on the exercise in a sprit of co-operation and transparency that has not always been a feature of such discussions. The aim would have to be not to rake over past failures or broken promises but to arrive at a complete understanding of where all the water came from and where it went.

Only then can solutions be found and implemented. And this is just for one area: the exercise would need to replicated hundreds of time across the country so some common standards would need to be imposed, desired outcomes and timescales specified and a way found of sharing best practice.

In the Lambourn Valley, two groups which have recently been set up are already working towards a similar goal. These are, however, purely local initiatives and are basically adversarial to Thames Water, the EA and the government. That’s what’s needed now: but the trick will be to get everyone involved on board and pulling in the same direction in the future.

To accomplish this will be a truly formidable undertaking. One obvious criticism would be that, certainly at the start, there would be little in the way of practical results and so the whole thing could be dismissed as a cash-hungry talking shop. A piecemeal approach would, however, be both less effective and more expensive. In the current financial climate, no government will want to pump money into a scheme that promises no positive results by the time the next election comes round. However, the increasing public disquiet about the state of our broken water-management system suggests that a real effort to find a solution could be a vote-winner. That alone might be enough to move it up the agenda.

Pressure might also come from another direction. If individuals or organisations start bringing legal claims for damage to property or health caused by the negligence of one or more of the responsible bodies, and if the ensuring press coverage was sufficiently negative and the damages sufficiently high, it would soon become clear than doing nothing was actually the more expensive option.

The politicians, company directors and regulators have had three decades of trying to grapple with these issues, without any conspicuous success. Perhaps now is the time has now come for the lawyers and accountants to emerge as the unlikely saviours.

• Other news

• Last chance to grab your tickets for the The Mayor of Newbury‘s Fundraising Concert this Saturday 23 March in aid of West Berkshire Homeless and The Mayor’s Benevolent Fund charities. Tickets cost £10, including a welcome drink upon arrival and entry into a raffle. Click here to learn more.

• Registration for Newbury in Bloom 2024 is now open so time to start planning your entries.  The annual campaign aims to improve the appearance of the town and environment and making it a greener, cleaner and more pleasant place to live. The closing date for entries is Sunday 26 May and the judging for the competition will take place week commencing 17 June. Click here for further details.

• Great news for swimmers is that Northcroft Lido will be opening from Thursday 28 March. Their lane-swimming timetable is published here.

• Newbury Town Council is looking for a new Town Crier, as well as searching for a Mace Bearer as the current Town Crier Brian Sylvester, is retiring from his role after 25 years of service.. Click here to learn more.

• An important video demonstration about water safety from canoe and paddleboard instructor David Seward at The Waterside Centre after a toddler nearly fell into the fast flowing canal. Please don’t let your children get close to the edge which is incredibly slippery.

Eastfield House Surgery currently located in St John’s Road wishes to move to a new premises immediately south of Newbury College along the A339. The current surgery site is too small and they are working with Greenham Common Trust to provide the new facility, with support from Berkshire Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Integrated Care Board (BOB ICB). See here for details and how to have your say on the new surgery premises by Friday 12 April. There will also be a drop-in presentation at St John’s Church Hall, Newbury, RG14 7PY from 4.30pm to 6.45pm on Tuesday 26 March with staff and architects answering questions.

Woolton Hill Argyle are looking for children currently in Year 5 to join their U11 Football Team for the 24/25 season.  If you’re interested please contact John Bonas at [email protected] or phone 07513 71557.

• Congratulations to 5th Newbury Brownies who are planning their 50th anniversary celebrations this month. Troop leader Natasha Richardson invites anyone who had been part of the the troop over the years to contact her on [email protected]

• If you’re looking for sustainable shopping opportunities from independent businesses, the next monthly SustainHUBle market at The Woodpecker in Washwater is on Thursday 28 March.

• There is still time to sign up for Newbury Athletic Club’s Newbury 10K race on Monday 27 May. Profits from this year’s race will be shared between Newbury Soup Kitchen and Loose Ends. See more details about the race here.

• The Newbury Spring Festival runs from Sat 11 to Sat 25 May and public booking for events is now open: click here to see the full list of musical treats on offer.

• The Volunteer Centre West Berkshire is offering a range of courses for volunteers, trustees, and anyone in the charity sector. Too see what courses they’re offering and to book a place, click here.

• Would you like to volunteer your business expertise to help Education Business Partnership prepare our local young people? Please see here for more details.

• If you need to let off steam about Newbury’s current roadworks, join the Newbury Happening Now facebook group. See West Berkshire Council’s list of roads prioritised for improving here.

• The Green Hub on West Berkshire Council’s website is focused on helping people make more sustainable choices collectively along our journey to Net Zero, whether you live, work or learn in West Berkshire or are a business owner or visitor. The information covers energy efficiencytaking climate actioncommunity work and sustainable business.

• For the low-down on the local live music scene follow Sound Newbury’s facebook page.

• For support and advice with any flooding issues in Newbury please join the Newbury Flood and Drainage Action Facebook Group.

• Have your say

Have your say on current consultations being run by West Berkshire Council:

National Wraparound Childcare Programme – Parent/Carer Survey 2024 Deadline 24 March.
Proposed Licensed Hackney Carriage (Taxi) Fares Deadline 11 April.

Parish and town councils also run consultations from time to time: see the appropriate website/s below under Council contacts.

• Latest local newsletters

• Newbury Town Council.
• Hamstead Hornet (the March 2024 issue has just been published)


Community notices

• Have your say on current consulations by West Berkshire Council. Parish and town councils also run consultations from time to time: see the appropriate website/s below under Council contacts.

• The Corn Exchange café bar on Thursday mornings between 10.30am and 12.30pm hosts Coffee Companions to meet new people and have a chat.

• Loose Ends drop-in centre at Newbury Cricket Ground welcome volunteers to join its friendly team. They offer hot meals and a safe and friendly environment for vulnerable people. More details and how to apply can be found here.

• Roadworks seem to be ongoing across the town…For up to date news and discussion it’s worth joining the Newbury.Happening now facebook group and its Newbury Traffic Live Updates chat group (on facebook messenger).

• Printer ink cartridges can be recycled at the Waterside Youth Centre, which will help them raise money to fund local youth activities. You can find the donation box next to the blue reception desk. – 01635 018500

• Donations of second-hand bikes are always welcome at the Community Furniture Project in Newbury where they refurbish the bikes and sell them at affordable prices to people in need. Call 01635 43933.

• Newbury Market welcomes small business interested in having a pitch in the Market Place get in contact with them at [email protected] or call 07399 122964 to find out more.

• Newbury Town Council Saturday Surgery between 10 am and noon any week at the steps of the Town Hall.

• Newbury’s two friendly community cafés on Wednesdays: Educafe Community Café in Newbury Library 11am to 2pm and Speen Community Café at The Starting Gate Pub 2pm to 5pm.

• Fair Close Centre on Newtown Road in Newbury provides a vital social hub and meals on wheels for over 65s, many of whom live on their own. Please support them here. Goodness knows we might all need their services in years to come.

• Local charity Eight Bells is seeking enthusiastic volunteers to support them with food collections from local supermarkets. For more information and to register your interest please call 07387 962220 or email [email protected].

 The Community Larder at the Waterside Centre is open every Tuesday afternoon, 2pm to 4pm to provide members with surplus food, discounts for local businesses, access to other services and support, as well as a friendly community environment.

• Dignity in Dying local West Berkshire group meets in Newbury Library.

Newbury Library offers free IT support sessions including filling out online forms, how to Zoom, downloading e-magazines or sorting out pictures. Bookable 30- or 60-minute sessions. To find out more or book a slot, email [email protected].

• West Berkshire Library’s friendly At Home service delivers books in person on a three-weekly basis, free of charge if you can’t get into your local branch. Contact the At Home service on 01635 519827 or email [email protected].


Local events and activities

For more information on events and activities across the Penny Post area, see the website calendar.

• Dates for the diary

 Every WedEducafe 11am to 2pm, Newbury Library.

 Every WedSpeen Community Cafe, 2pm to 5pm The Starting Gate.

Sat 23 Mar Mayor’s Fundraising Concert, Waterside Community Centre.

Sat 23 Mar Newbury Cats Protection Jumble Sale, Thatcham Catholic Hall.

• Fri 26 & Sat 27 Apr Newbury Wool and Fabric Bargain Sale, Kennet Centre, Newbury.

• Sat 11 to 25 May Newbury Spring Festival, various locations.

 Regular events

• A wide range of activities for over 55 year olds is offered by The Corn Exchange in its Ageing Creatively programme.

Community Kitchen Garden meets every Thursday from 10am to 12:30pm. Drop-in to get involved with the planting and maintenance of flowers, fruit and vegetables, learn new skills and meet new people inside the beautiful walled garden of Shaw House. To learn more contact Amy on 07553 810133 or [email protected].

• Ukulele group workshops for all levels with the UTeam in Wash Common. Call 07963 647087 to enquire.

• Salsa in Newbury courses for beginners and level 2/3 on Wednesday evenings at Newbury British Legion.

 Regular youth activities at the Waterside Centre in central Newbury.

 Thatcham & Newbury Town Ladies and Girls FC Wildcats programme for girls aged 5 to 11 to get involved in football, promoting skill development, health, confidence and friendship. 6 to 7pm every Wednesday at Lower Way playing fields in Thatcham. Email [email protected] to get involved.

• Newbury Park Run at Greenham Common at 9am every Saturday morning. Folks of all ages welcome to run/walk/jog the 5km. They also have volunteering opportunities. See details here.

 Newbury Women Football Club always welcomes new players. For more details click here or contact [email protected].

• ACE Space on St Nicholas Road hosts live acoustic performances. Join their Facebook group or follow them on Twitter.

• Newbury Community Larder every Tuesday 2pm to 4pm at the Waterside Centre (down the canal from Costa Coffee on Northbrook Street). For more details please contact [email protected] or call 01635 018500.

• Speen Community Café at The Starting Gate in Speen on Wednesdays between 2pm to 5pm. Drop in for a chat or a cuppa, knitting and craft activities. You don’t have to live in Speen to join in. Follow them on facebook here.

• Educafe’s Community Cafe at Newbury Library every Wednesday between 11am and 2pm. If you would like to pop along for a friendly chat or to volunteer in the cafe please see their website for more details.

• Berkshire Youth‘s Waterside Centre in Newbury hosts various clubs and activities for local children and can provide volunteering opportunities for adults too.

 The Base, Greenham organise many art-focused events for people of all ages to let their creative sides go wild.


News from your local council

Note: “the most recent meeting” refers to the most recent one for which minutes (in some cases draft) or some other summary is available. Other meetings may have taken place since. Some councils publish minutes more promptly than do others. If the link is scored through this may be because draft minutes have been replaced by approved ones and the drafts file deleted. If so, please follow the links provided to the council’s website.

• The most recent meeting of Newbury Town Council for which minutes are available took place on 23 October and you can read the minutes here. Note that many matters are delegated to committees.
To see the dates of future Town Council meetings (including any committees), please click here. To see the agendas and minutes please click here.

• The most recent meeting of Shaw-cum-Donnington Parish Council for which minutes are available took place on 21 February and you can read the minutes here. Items covered included: matters arising; financial matters; reports for the ward members; planning matters; road safety; amenities; repairs and maintenance; the Easter newsletter; and a report on a recent meeting with Action for the River Kennet.
To see the dates, agendas and minutes for future Parish Council meetings (including any committees), please click here.

• The most recent meeting of Greenham Parish Council for which minutes are available took place on 14 February and you can read the minutes here. Items covered included: poplar trees on Stroud Green; planning matters; financial matters; grants; drones; dog bins; litter; the Diamond Field; the Parish Assembly (25 April); D-Day; and reports from district and parish councillors.
To see the dates, agendas and minutes for future Parish Council meetings (including any committees), please click here.

• The most recent meeting of Chieveley Parish Council for which minutes are available took place on 13 February and you can read the minutes here. Items covered included: public participation; matters arising; planning matters; financial matters; speeding; the Recreation Ground; the PPG meeting; the Parish Assembly on 1 May; D-Day; the Clerk’s report; a councillor vacancy; and councillor reports.
To see the dates of future Parish Council meetings (including any committees), please click here to download the meeting schedule. To see the agendas and minutes please click here.

• The most recent meeting of Enborne Parish Council for which minutes are available took place on 29 January and you can read the minutes here.
To see the dates, agendas and minutes for future Parish Council meetings (including any committees), please click here.

• The most recent meeting of Speen Parish Council for which minutes are available took place on 24 January and you can read the minutes here.
To see the dates and agendas for future Parish Council meetings (including any committees), please click here.

• The most recent meeting of Boxford Parish Council for which minutes are available took place on 7 November and you can read the minutes here.
To see the dates, agendas and minutes for future Parish Council meetings (including any committees), please click here.

• The most recent meeting of Hamstead Marshall Parish Council for which minutes are available took place on 21 July and you can read the minutes here.
To see the dates of future Parish Council meetings (including any committees), please click here. To see the agendas, please click hereTo see minutes, please click here.

• Newbury area council contacts

Parishes: Newbury Town CouncilGreenham Parish CouncilChieveley Parish CouncilEnborne Parish CouncilBoxford Parish CouncilSpeen Parish Council,  Shaw-cum-Donnington Parish Council, and Hamstead Marshall Parish Council.

West Berkshire Council: click here to visit the website.

News from other areas

Penny Post area – please see the following separate sections: Hungerford area; Lambourn ValleyThatcham area; Compton and DownlandsBurghfield area; Wantage area; Marlborough area.

News and views from across the area and beyond: please see the most recent Weekly News with Brian column.

Thursday 14 March 2024

Gremlin update: we have started the process of migrating our whole website, emails and hosting to a new UK-based company – so, fingers crossed this goes smoothly next week but please bear with us if there any hiccups. Thanks again to those who have already helped cover our extra costs, including Joan from Newbury who says “I’ve learned so much from following your weekly bulletins over the years and I have at last arranged for a small monthly donation. Thank you so much for all you do.” This kind of feedback means the world to us. If you are considering making us a donation, please see here for the options.

Our usual round-up of  local news includes civic awards, a retiring crier, history, short stories and a creative space – plus a fairly detailed look at the issues involved in the Watermill Bridge judicial review, an update on the proposals for Pound Street and three challenges (or opportunities) for Newbury’s pharmacies.  See also below for community notices and news from your local council.

Upcoming Newbury events include Mother’s Day lunch and fundraising concert. See below for details, plus regular events and group activities.

• A judicial review

As mentioned last week, on 8 March Basingstoke & Deane Council (B&D) announced it was launching a judicial review (JR) into the application for 270 homes at Watermill Bridge, effectively in south Newbury, which were allowed on appeal by the Planning Inspector (HMPI) in January. “The council does not accept all of the conclusions in the Planning Inspector’s decision to allow the Watermill Bridge appeal,” the statement begins. “We have asked the High Court for permission to proceed with a statutory review of the inspector’s decision, on a point of law. We will be advised by the court whether permission has been granted to proceed with this review, but this process can take some months.”

The mention of “point of law” is important, for a JR does not re-examine the issues that were considered in the appal but merely considers if the matter was decided correctly in law: to see, as the law firm Ashurst puts it, if the process of making the decision involved any “illegality, irrationality or procedural impropriety.” The fact that it is only the decision that will be considered rather than the discussions that led up to it has potential important implications for what might happen if B&D is successful; to which I’ll turn in a moment.

The three B&D ward members are opposed to the scheme. One of them, John Izzett, told me on 11 March that “it was hard to comprehend HMPI’s decision and we’re very glad that the officers have identified grounds for seeking leave to appeal”. The Enbone River Valley Preservation Society (ERVPS), which has long campaigned against Watermill Bridge, also welcomes the appeal and “hopes for a successful outcome.”

In the opposite corner are the developers, Bewley Homes, and the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities. The latter was contacted by B&D in mid-February in which the council outlined its possible grounds for launching a JR. This was responded to in a five-page letter on 20 February which concluded that the claim was “without merit” and amounted to “a barely disguised attack on the planning judgment reached by the Inspector.” 

On 11 March, Bewley said it was “very surprised and disappointed” at the council’s decision and pointed out that the appeal “set out very clearly why the overall benefits of the scheme outweighed the council’s decision to refuse consent.” It added that “the Inspector gave significant weight to the provision of both market and affordable housing in the face ofop0000000000 the council failing to maintain a minimum five-year provision” and that this would assist people on B&D’s housing waiting list, currently “one of the worst records in the country.” The statement also questions whether the review, “which could run into hundreds of thousands of pounds” was a good use of local council-tax payers’ money.

B&D obviously felt that it was; and that there was “illegality, irrationality or procedural impropriety” involved in the decision. If the case passes its first hurdle – that of a judge deciding if it has merit – it then moves onto a longer and even more expensive stage of a full hearing. If the leave to appeal is granted, the final decision may not be known until the end of the year.

Appeals play a reasonably large part in the planning process. Today’s Conveyancer says that about 13% of applications were refused in 2022 while Appeal Finder’s figures suggest the chances of a successful appeal over the last five years have averaged at about 27%. It therefore follows that you’re pretty likely to have an application passed but that, if it isn’t, you have about a one in four chance of winning second time round. Watermill Bridge bucked both these trends, which makes it interesting in itself.

Appeals are more likely to succeed if the local planning authority’s (LPA) local plan is more than five years old (or, their lasting for fifteen years, has not started a formal procedure of updating and refreshment); and/or if the LPA cannot demonstrate a housing land supply figure of at least five years (a figure that must be refreshed annually). In B&D’s case, the local plan is currently nearly seven years old and its housing land supply just over four. This puts it on the wrong side of the line on both counts.

There are clearly powerful reasons to oppose this development. To all these views I’ve given expression. One former councillor I happened to meet in the supermarket today suggested that building nearly three hundred homes on a flood plain was not a good idea. The ERVPS has eloquently argued this point, and also ones relating to environmental damage. These are important issues.

However, Bewley has claimed – and HMPI has agreed – the the modelling work, hydrology reports and environmental impact assessments addressed these concerns. B&D is fully within its rights to defend its position, as are the ward members in representing the views of their residents if they feel that they oppose the plans. That’s what they’re all there to do. However, as mentioned above, the judicial review is not about the planning considerations but about the legality of the Inspector’s decision.

The important point about this, which I alluded to earlier, is that if B&D is successful it will not kill the application, nor even the appeal. Bewley could re-commence the latter from, as it were, the point where the Inspector started writing the decision notice and hope for a better result.

By an irony, this is exactly what might happen. As Bewley has full permission for about 30% of the homes, work could even now be starting on providing an improvement to B&D’s land-supply figures, so protecting it against future developments by appeal, some of which may have fewer merits than this one. Unless this improves, and work starts on updating the plan, it’s possible that any future re-appeal will find that the circumstances to be even more favourable.

Developers have deep pockets and serious skin in the game. The merits or otherwise of this plan are clearly finely balanced. Assuming it goes ahead, much will depend on how well B&D is able to ensure that the attractive aspects of the scheme Bewley has promised are translated into reality. We all know that once approval has been granted, there often follows a period of attrition during which the developers seek to turn the scheme into one that’s more profitable. Again, I repeat that I completely defend B&D’s legal right to have this decision looked at. However, spending some of the likely legal costs on a dedicated officer to enforce every aspect of every planning condition might perhaps have been a more pragmatic use of the money.

There’s also a final point. B&D, like all LPAs, has a housing allocation it needs to satisfy. An application for nearly 300 homes right on the edge of the district, the mitigations of which are largely the responsibility of another council (WBC), seems about as good as it gets. B&D gets the housing ticks and all the developer contributions but WBC has all the problems of schools, medical services and road use to solve. There’ll be some horse-trading about the allocation of funds and some aspects of the proposals (if enforced by B&D) will benefit WBC. None the less, I can’t help feeling B&D is slightly missing a trick here. The scheme isn’t perfect: but then what scheme is? The reality is that Bewley does not seem to be going away. Regardless of the pros and cons of the application – which have already been examined – that might be something that all those involved need to recognise.

• Queuing for the meds

We mentioned in this column on 22 February about concerns in Newbury and elsewhere about the queues at local pharmacies. This was raised that day at the Health and Wellbeing Board (HWB) which looked at the (very complex) matter of pharmacy provision in the area. One of the assertions was that, certainly Newbury, needed an additional town-centre pharmacy (Thatcham has already had some changes in the last year). The counter argument from the Health Trust was that there was currently only a limited amount to funding and that if this spread over an extra outlet the result could be that the overall level of service might diminish rather than increase.

The matter was given another airing at the West Berkshire Health Scrutiny Commission (HSC) on 12 March (you can see the agenda here: the minutes will be available here when published). I spoke to the HSC’s Chair Martha Vickers on 14 March and she confirmed the point above about the danger of the jam being spread too thinly. She added that, as a result, “the concentration has been on improving the efficiency of existing pharmacies.”

There was also discussion at the HSC about the Pharmacy First scheme which was announced in November and rolled out from early February. In my 22 February article, I suggested that this might be part of the problem. I also came up with a summary in favour of new pharmacies opening up, certainly in Newbury. Having spoken to Martha Vickers and others about this, I now see this to have been, at best, an over-simplification.

There seem to be three issues. The first is that the number of pharmacies nationally has been falling and there are now about 10% fewer than there were five years ago. This will in part have been due to failing business models, falling demand or perhaps the lack of government funding. The Pharmaceutical Journal refers to the last issue in this article in November 2023 and also points to “a shift in ownership from large multiples to small multiples and independents, mainly down to the sale or closure of most Lloyds Pharmacy’s branches.” The sector is clearly experiencing some churn and disruption.

Pubs have seen a similar attrition: but pubs aren’t regulated. Pharmacy provision is: so it’s reasonable to assume that complex and, to an outsider, opaque systems by which this is managed is ensuring, perhaps imperfectly, that there are in general the right number of outlets in the right places. Organisations like the HSC and HWB exist to keep an eye on this. And yet people in Newbury and Thatcham have been complaining. If a new pharmacy isn’t the solution, what can be done to fix this?

This leads to the second point, of efficiency. Several of the members of the HSC agreed that improvements in systems, staffing and communication in the local pharmacies produced very rapid improvements in the levels of service and a commensurate fall in the number of complaints. Recruitment and retention remains an issue although, as Martha Vickers pointed out to me, the number of pharmacists in the Bucks, Berks and Oxon area has gone up from 690 in 2021 to 727 in 2022. If these improvements can be maintained then the situation may improve. More money from Whitehall might help, though it’s dangerouns to assume that every problem will dissolve in the face of a larger pile of cash.

Thirdly, there’s the matter of Pharmacy First. I spoke to a well-established independent pharmacist in the area who told me – again, contrary to what I suggested on 22 February – that the funding is in place and would appear to be adequate. The aim, he explained, was that virtually all pharmacies would in time be part of this scheme, although a few (for example ones with no consulting room) may not. Moreover, in each case the roll-out may be varied, with some outlets not able to offer all the services immediately. I suggested that this seemed like a logical and pragmatic step given the lengthening waiting lists for GP appointments and the fact that (and I really wasn’t just saying this to flatter him), pharmacists are highly trained and competent people and they had perhaps been under-utilised.

He broadly agreed with this, adding that the new initiative was in some ways a return to the situation that prevailed before the NHS when pharmacists were essentially high-street physicians: a criticism of the post 1946 arrangements is that they became dispensing factories. He added that the change has been anticipated to the extent that all pharmacists now qualifying have to have prescribing qualifications. In the past they hadn’t because it wasn’t part of the job. Now it is, for a limited range of medicines (which do not, it’s worth stressing, include antibiotics). He suggested that he felt the list would increase once the system had bedded down.

The fact that Pharmacy First has appeared at the same time as has a recurrence of complaints about queueing times might suggest that one was the cause of the other. If the pharmacy is already running less well than it might, this wouldn’t have helped, particularly in these early stages of the new scheme. However, they seem to be different issues with different funding streams designed to address different but related needs.

• Pound Street

Last year we reported on a consultation being run by Archel Homes regarding the former Jewsons site in Pound Street in Newbury. The preamble stated that “Archel Homes is bringing forward proposals to redevelop the former Jewson’s yard, Newbury Bathrooms building and Nos. 26 & 28 Pound Street, Newbury to create approximately 100 new homes.”

You can click here to see the details of the project as it was initially envisaged (note that the consultation referred to has now closed). I understand that Archel has spent the last few months looking at the consultation responses and discussing with local residents and other stakeholders.

Contrary to what I wrote in the original version of this column, the application has in fact been lodged (23/02782/FULMAJ), the details of which can be seen here. There have currently been 52 letters of objection (as well as one impartial and one in support) and the application has also been called in by a ward member. This means that, if the officers are minded to accept it, the decision will be made by the Western Area Planning Committee. The determination deadline is 27 March so further comments should be received by then but should also be accepted after this date if it hasn’t been decided by then.

A quick glance at some of objections suggests that, as well as over-development, transport issues and in particular the matter of parking spaces seem to be a major concern. The response from WBC’s Highways team concluded by saying the following:

There is concern that the development does not comply with the Council’s car parking standards and has not sufficiently assessed the traffic impact of the development on the highway network especially the Bartholomew Street/Pound Street traffic signal junction. If these items are not resolved satisfactorily then this planning application will be recommended for refusal by the Local Highway Authority. A potential further reason for refusal could be concern regarding the proximity of the proposed access to the existing access to the cooperative store opposite. Should the above issues be resolved then some local improvements to the sustainable transport infrastructure along Pound Street should be considered.”

A statement from the applicant’s consultants stresses the availability of nearby amenities, its proximity to Newbury’s town centre, the availability of on-street parking and the various public-transport options available. Despite these assurances and the wealth of data provided to support them, if WBC’s Highways officers feels that these are serious objections which will, if not addressed, result in the application being refused (and so avoiding, in this round at least, the WAPC needing to be invoked). Further discussions seem therefore to be needed.

Despite these objections, this appears to be a sensible plan that will provided much-needed homes, revitalise a current eyesore and make use of brownfield land. It would seem, however, that a bit more compromise is needed before this can become a reality.

• Other news

• The annual Newbury Town Civic Awards presentation took place on Wednesday 13 March.  Congratulations to June Milsom winner of Newbury Town Civic Award, Daniel Udry winner of Young Person’s Civic Award, The Ugly Duckling, winner of the Business Civic Award, ARK Action for the River Kennt, winner of the Environmental Contribution Award, and Community United West Berkshire, winner of the Local Community Group Civic Award. Mayor of Newbury, Councillor Nigel Foot congratulated all of the nominees for their outstanding achievements. See more details here.

• The Newbury Town Crier will be retiring from his role after 25 years of service. Brian Sylvester began his tenure as Newbury Town Crier on 1 April 1999, and has been delivering community updates and announcements as part of his role ever since. Newbury Town Council will be looking for a successor to carry on the tradition of the Town Crier, as well as searching for a Mace Bearer. Click here to learn more about this story.

• Last chance to apply for the one-bedroom almshouse as the deadline is Friday 15 March. Available for Newbury resident/s who meet the Coxedd & Pearce & Kimber’s Almshouses Charity’s criteria regarding income and assets.. See here for how to apply.

• All welcome at the Family Silent Disco in Boxford Village Hall this Friday 15 March from 6.30pm to 8.30pm hosted by Friends of Welford & Wickham Primary School. Tickets available from [email protected]. See more details here.

• For anyone interested in Newbury history, Hungerford Bookshop is hosting a chat with Ruth D’Alessandro on Thursday 21 March about her book Calling Sergeant Crockford. Ruth writes the true story about her mother, a woman police sergeant at the top of her game, stationed in Newbury in the 1960s. Book here.

• The winning short stories have been selected for Laura Farris MP’s Short Story Competition to celebrate World Book Day. The winner for Years 1, 2 & 3 is Gracie Williams from Cold Ash St Mark’s CE Primary School, and Years 4, 5 & 6 is Tulullah Martin from Thatcham Park CE Primary School. Both of the winning stories can be read here.

• The Corn Exchange Newbury has launched a fundraising campaign to convert the Old Library on Cheap Street as a new creative space for the community. If you would like to learn more or make a donation, click here.

• The upcoming Open Event at Newbury College/University Centre Newbury on Wednesday 20 March from 4pm to 7pm is a great opportunity for school leavers to explore their further education and career options. See here for details and how to book.

• The potential of community food growing in Newbury and the truth about timber as a construction material are the topics of our latest Local Eco Podcast. Click here to listen anytime.

• The Mayor of Newbury will be holding a Fundraising Concert on Saturday 23 March. The line up will include a range of local artists and the funds raised will go towards West Berkshire Homeless and The Mayor’s Benevolent Fund charities. Tickets cost £10, including a welcome drink upon arrival and entry into a raffle. Click here to learn more.

• The Newbury Spring Festival runs from Sat 11 to Sat 25 May and public booking for events is now open: click here to see the full list of musical treats on offer.

• The Volunteer Centre West Berkshire is offering a range of courses for volunteers, trustees, and anyone in the charity sector. Too see what courses they’re offering and to book a place, click here.

• Would you like to volunteer your business expertise to help Education Business Partnership prepare our local young people? Please see here for more details.

• If you need to let off steam about Newbury’s current roadworks, join the Newbury Happening Now facebook group. See West Berkshire Council’s list of roads prioritised for improving here.

• The Green Hub on West Berkshire Council’s website is focused on helping people make more sustainable choices collectively along our journey to Net Zero, whether you live, work or learn in West Berkshire or are a business owner or visitor. The information covers energy efficiencytaking climate actioncommunity work and sustainable business.

• For the low-down on the local live music scene follow Sound Newbury’s facebook page.

• For support and advice with any flooding issues in Newbury please join the Newbury Flood and Drainage Action Facebook Group.

• Have your say

Have your say on current consultations being run by West Berkshire Council:

National Wraparound Childcare Programme – Parent/Carer Survey 2024 Deadline 24 March.

Parish and town councils also run consultations from time to time: see the appropriate website/s below under Council contacts.

• Latest local newsletters

• Newbury Town Council.
• Hamstead Hornet (the March 2024 issue has just been published)


Community notices

• Have your say on current consulations by West Berkshire Council. Parish and town councils also run consultations from time to time: see the appropriate website/s below under Council contacts.

• The Corn Exchange café bar on Thursday mornings between 10.30am and 12.30pm hosts Coffee Companions to meet new people and have a chat.

• Loose Ends drop-in centre at Newbury Cricket Ground welcome volunteers to join its friendly team. They offer hot meals and a safe and friendly environment for vulnerable people. More details and how to apply can be found here.

• Roadworks seem to be ongoing across the town…For up to date news and discussion it’s worth joining the Newbury.Happening now facebook group and its Newbury Traffic Live Updates chat group (on facebook messenger).

• Printer ink cartridges can be recycled at the Waterside Youth Centre, which will help them raise money to fund local youth activities. You can find the donation box next to the blue reception desk. – 01635 018500

• Donations of second-hand bikes are always welcome at the Community Furniture Project in Newbury where they refurbish the bikes and sell them at affordable prices to people in need. – 01635 43933

• Newbury Market welcomes small business interested in having a pitch in the Market Place get in contact with them at [email protected] or call 07399 122964 to find out more.

• Newbury Town Council Saturday Surgery between 10 am and noon any week at the steps of the Town Hall.

• Newbury’s two friendly community cafés on Wednesdays: Educafe Community Café in Newbury Library 11am to 2pm and Speen Community Café at The Starting Gate Pub 2pm to 5pm.

• Fair Close Centre on Newtown Road in Newbury provides a vital social hub and meals on wheels for over 65s, many of whom live on their own. Please support them here. Goodness knows we might all need their services in years to come.

• Local charity Eight Bells is seeking enthusiastic volunteers to support them with food collections from local supermarkets. For more information and to register your interest please call 07387 962220 or email [email protected].

 The Community Larder at the Waterside Centre is open every Tuesday afternoon, 2pm to 4pm to provide members with surplus food, discounts for local businesses, access to other services and support, as well as a friendly community environment.

• Dignity in Dying local West Berkshire group meets in Newbury Library.

Newbury Library offers free IT support sessions including filling out online forms, how to Zoom, downloading e-magazines or sorting out pictures. Bookable 30- or 60-minute sessions. To find out more or book a slot, email [email protected].

• West Berkshire Library’s friendly At Home service delivers books in person on a three-weekly basis, free of charge if you can’t get into your local branch. Contact the At Home service on 01635 519827 or email [email protected].


Local events and activities

For more information on events and activities across the Penny Post area, see the website calendar.

• Dates for the diary

 Every WedEducafe 11am to 2pm, Newbury Library

 Every WedSpeen Community Cafe, 2pm to 5pm The Starting Gate.

Sat 23 Mar Mayor’s Fundraising Concert, Waterside Community Centre.

• Sat 23 Mar Newbury Cats Protection Jumble Sale, Thatcham Catholic Hall.

• Sat 11 to 25 May Newbury Spring Festival, various locations.

 Regular events

• A wide range of activities for over 55 year olds is offered by The Corn Exchange in its Ageing Creatively programme.

Community Kitchen Garden meets every Thursday from 10am to 12:30pm. Drop-in to get involved with the planting and maintenance of flowers, fruit and vegetables, learn new skills and meet new people inside the beautiful walled garden of Shaw House. To learn more contact Amy on 07553 810133 or [email protected].

• Ukulele group workshops for all levels with the UTeam in Wash Common. Call 07963 647087 to enquire.

• Salsa in Newbury courses for beginners and level 2/3 on Wednesday evenings at Newbury British Legion.

 Regular youth activities at the Waterside Centre in central Newbury.

 Thatcham & Newbury Town Ladies and Girls FC Wildcats programme for girls aged 5 to 11 to get involved in football, promoting skill development, health, confidence and friendship. 6 to 7pm every Wednesday at Lower Way playing fields in Thatcham. Email [email protected] to get involved.

• Newbury Park Run at Greenham Common at 9am every Saturday morning. Folks of all ages welcome to run/walk/jog the 5km. They also have volunteering opportunities. See details here.

 Newbury Women Football Club always welcomes new players. For more details click here or contact [email protected].

• ACE Space on St Nicholas Road hosts live acoustic performances. Join their Facebook group or follow them on Twitter.

• Newbury Community Larder every Tuesday 2pm to 4pm at the Waterside Centre (down the canal from Costa Coffee on Northbrook Street). For more details please contact [email protected] or call 01635 018500.

• Speen Community Café at The Starting Gate in Speen on Wednesdays between 2pm to 5pm. Drop in for a chat or a cuppa, knitting and craft activities. You don’t have to live in Speen to join in. Follow them on facebook here.

• Educafe’s Community Cafe at Newbury Library every Wednesday between 11am and 2pm. If you would like to pop along for a friendly chat or to volunteer in the cafe please see their website for more details.

• Berkshire Youth‘s Waterside Centre in Newbury hosts various clubs and activities for local children and can provide volunteering opportunities for adults too.

 The Base, Greenham organise many art-focused events for people of all ages to let their creative sides go wild.


News from your local council

Note: “the most recent meeting” refers to the most recent one for which minutes (in some cases draft) or some other summary is available. Other meetings may have taken place since. Some councils publish minutes more promptly than do others. If the link is scored through this may be because draft minutes have been replaced by approved ones and the drafts file deleted. If so, please follow the links provided to the council’s website.

• The most recent meeting of Newbury Town Council for which minutes are available took place on 23 October and you can read the minutes here. Note that many matters are delegated to committees.
To see the dates of future Town Council meetings (including any committees), please click here. To see the agendas and minutes please click here.

• The most recent meeting of Shaw-cum-Donnington Parish Council for which minutes are available took place on 21 February and you can read the minutes here. Items covered included: matters arising; financial matters; reports for the ward members; planning matters; road safety; amenities; repairs and maintenance; the Easter newsletter; and a report on a recent meeting with Action for the River Kennet.
To see the dates, agendas and minutes for future Parish Council meetings (including any committees), please click here.

• The most recent meeting of Chieveley Parish Council for which minutes are available took place on 13 February and you can read the minutes here. Items covered included: public participation; matters arising; planning matters; financial matters; speeding; the Recreation Ground; the PPG meeting; the Parish Assembly on 1 May; D-Day; the Clerk’s report; a councillor vacancy; and councillor reports.
To see the dates of future Parish Council meetings (including any committees), please click here to download the meeting schedule. To see the agendas and minutes please click here.

• The most recent meeting of Enborne Parish Council for which minutes are available took place on 29 January and you can read the minutes here.
To see the dates, agendas and minutes for future Parish Council meetings (including any committees), please click here.

• The most recent meeting of Speen Parish Council for which minutes are available took place on 24 January and you can read the minutes here.
To see the dates and agendas for future Parish Council meetings (including any committees), please click here.

• The most recent meeting of Greenham Parish Council for which minutes are available took place on 8 November and you can read the minutes here.
To see the dates, agendas and minutes for future Parish Council meetings (including any committees), please click here.

• The most recent meeting of Boxford Parish Council for which minutes are available took place on 7 November and you can read the minutes here.
To see the dates, agendas and minutes for future Parish Council meetings (including any committees), please click here.

• The most recent meeting of Hamstead Marshall Parish Council for which minutes are available took place on 21 July and you can read the minutes here.
To see the dates of future Parish Council meetings (including any committees), please click here. To see the agendas, please click hereTo see minutes, please click here.

• Newbury area council contacts

Parishes: Newbury Town CouncilGreenham Parish CouncilChieveley Parish CouncilEnborne Parish CouncilBoxford Parish CouncilSpeen Parish Council,  Shaw-cum-Donnington Parish Council, and Hamstead Marshall Parish Council.

West Berkshire Council: click here to visit the website.

News from other areas

Penny Post area – please see the following separate sections: Hungerford area; Lambourn ValleyThatcham area; Compton and DownlandsBurghfield area; Wantage area; Marlborough area.

News and views from across the area and beyond: please see the most recent Weekly News with Brian column.


Archive

To see earlier Newbury & Surrounding Area Weekly News columns please click here.

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