West Berkshire Council is weighing a hybrid pedestrianisation plan for Newbury town centre after a proposal from a group of town centre businesses, backed by AI-generated images. The idea takes cues from Barcelona's Las Ramblas and schemes in Sheffield.
The proposal pushes a community-led makeover: trees and planters planted and maintained by residents, volunteers, schools, local gardeners and businesses, plus better street furniture, lighting and family-friendly seating. It also calls for dedicated loading bays to keep deliveries simple.
They want permission for tasteful, covered, all-year outdoor terraces and for remaining highway sections to be narrowed to expand hospitality and green space. A packed events calendar - markets, live music, family nights and Christmas lights - would be organised with the Newbury Business Improvement District and volunteers.
The group hopes the cost will be modest compared with long-term gains in footfall, property values and town vitality. For now they say they prefer to remain anonymous while they build local support.
The move follows intense criticism after a leaked report suggested the trial pedestrianisation was harming trade and making the centre more inaccessible to people with mobility needs.
From 19 May 2025 West Berkshire Council began an 18-month trial, running 10am-11pm daily, closing key streets including Northbrook Street, Market Place and Bridge Street to most traffic. The council says it will not publish the public consultation results until at least the end of spring 2026; a special meeting is set for mid-May where spring data will be considered.
Opposition leader Ross Mackinnon condemned the decision to delay an extraordinary council meeting for more than six weeks after a formal requisition, calling it a failure of accountability and saying residents and businesses deserve answers now.
Niki Hinman, Local Democracy Reporter
