Gift shop The Natural World is closing down after just five months in Northbrook Street. The retailer took over the former QS shop with just a few months left on the lease, and despite fitting out the shop, has been unable to agree to a proposed rent rise. Meanwhile, over the road, Toni & Guy hair salon has been shut for several days for a makeover. The salon will reopen on Thursday.

Ambulance station closure looms

Plans to move Newbury Ambulance station to Turnpike will be outlined by the local NHS manager tomorrow night. Newbury.net has learned that a scheme to move paramedics from the easily accessible Robin Hood roundabout to the West Berkshire Hospital site will be presented, as Newbury Primary Care Trust is under pressure to sell off sites to plug a £40m black hole in health funding for the Thames Valley.

70ft office block approved

A 70ft office block will be built in Newbury despite record levels of empty offices in the town centre. Last week, councillors approved a highrise building which will create 300 jobs and extra traffic in Faraday Road. The permission comes as Vodafone is still looking for new tenants for two office blocks in Oxford Road, it’s former head office in the Broadway, and Woodlands in Bartholomew Street.

Renaissance Habitat won the day after convincing the committee that there’s a dearth of quality offices in the town.

Kebab chaos

Late night kebab fans will have to wait a little longer to get the Botan to open after 11pm. Police forced the venue to close in November after the owner failed to get a late night food licence under new laws. Botan has since applied, but received an objection from the police, and the matter will now be decided by West Berkshire Council’s Licensing Committee next week.

New shop for retail park

Women’s fashion chain New Look is opening up a store at the increasingly popular Pinchington Lane Retail Park. The outlet has taken over the former Carpetright shop after the flooring specialist folded last summer, and joins the likes of Next, Boots, Evans, Currys, and Mothercare. It’s not yet clear whether they are leaving their Kennet Centre store, where they moved from Northbrook Street two years ago, but newbury.net will keep you up to speed with retail developments as soon as they emerge.

Every little helps

Northbrook Street will be getting another cash machine, after Tesco got permission to install an ATM at its Metro store in the town centre – just 15 feet from the Halifax cash machine next door.

Hurdle cleared for racecourse

David Wilson Homes has been given the nod to squeeze nine more homes in at its 180-home racecourse development, The Chase. Town planners approved plans last week.