| Another major shake-up of Newbury will be unveiled this month, newbury.net can reveal, when the public is asked to vote on plans to redevelop up to 13 acres of the town centre.
Developers will be invited to reinvent the area around West Berkshire Council’s offices in Market Street, with four-storey buildings and a tree-lined piazza providing a walkthrough from the railway station to the Kennet Centre.
As part of the town’s 25 year vision, the new square will be lined with pubs, cafes, estate agents and convenience stores, with up to 200 flats on the upper floors. The square will feature benches, a fountain, and sculptures to welcome rail visitors to the town.
Also, a new multistorey car park is planned by the train station, as the bus station and all car parks will be built on. A new road is planned running from the roundabout in Market Street to the station.
The move means almost continuous building work in the town centre until 2010, with a new cinema, shopping centre, blocks of flats, a new boat basin and art gallery, and repaving in Market Place all about to start.
The Market Street plans have taken years to put together, but public consultation is expected to take place in March, with tenders going to developers in June. | 
