The developer behind the Old Town quarter planned for the Kennet Shopping Centre site in Newbury has outlined security and access plans for the new mews-style neighbourhood.
The scheme will replace the old covered mall and already has planning permission from the district council.
Thames Valley Police has warned parts of the design could encourage anti-social behaviour.
One route, Ashton Thicket, will stay open at all times as an east-west link. Lochialort says it had proposed small benches and planting outside some homes but accepted the benches might cause problems. "We agree that the benches may promote anti-social behaviour as the public passing through may confuse private benches with public benches." The benches will be replaced with pot plants and landscaping to create a defendable frontage.
The ginnels and small passageways will have gates that are kept locked. Only residents of each court, yard or mews will have access to their gate - for example, Eagle Court residents will get the east, west and south gates for their area.
Each gate will have an electronic interface so visitors can 'ring' a dwelling or call concierge. Residents will use a code or fob, and gates will unlock automatically if a fire alarm is triggered.
Alma Court will be open at all times, but pedestrian links between courts will be restricted to non-residents from 9pm to 7am. CCTV will also cover the alleys.
The council has insisted no above-ground work begins until sample panels of external materials have been prepared and approved. Plans must also show how homes will be protected from road and night-time entertainment noise and how cooking odours will be minimised.
The scheme has won praise from town-builder Create Streets. Nicholas Boys Smith says: "Over the last century, many of our town centres 'went wrong' as they 'zoned' residents out of towns and tried to reinvent themselves as purely retail or commercial zones," and: "Town centres need people living in them and aspiring to live in them if they are to weather the unknowable storms of the future."
He adds: "With West Berkshire's housing target increasing 118 per cent from 495 to 1,078 and with a very generous supply of shops nearby, creating 317 new homes will provide nearly 30 per cent of the local council's housing requirement."
"Old Town, Newbury is very probably the best example of truly regenerative town centre development taking place anywhere in Britain today."
Niki Hinman, Local Democracy Reporter
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