Greenacre homes plans revealed
Proposals to build homes on site of popular Newbury leisure centre unveiled
THE full scale of plans to build homes on the site of a popular Newbury leisure centre as exclusively revealed by the Newbury Weekly News went on show to the public last week.
Newbury housing developer Bloor Homes has unveiled a scheme to build 42 houses in an area of Greenham Road currently occupied by Greenacre Leisure Centre and 17 affordable homes at another site a short distance away.
The housing firm said it has struck a deal with Greenacre and intends to move part of the leisure facility to the direct north of its current site and has proposed replacing the indoor and outdoor tennis courts, but not the gym, swimming pool or squash courts currently housed inside the leisure centre, which have been at the site since the 1970s.
Club members and nearby residents were invited to two consultations at the Hilton hotel in Pinchington Lane, Newbury, on Thursday and Friday to look at the first stages of the proposed development, and many have reacted with dismay at the loss of the established facilities at the club, inundating the Newbury Weekly News with calls for Bloor to drop the proposals.
The affordable homes will be built on greenfield land adjoining Sayers Close, which is the same patch earmarked for the replacement facilities, providing the housing firm passes a series of ecological surveys.
Nearby residents have been quick to point out that the land is currently home to a species of great crested newt, which have conservation status and are protected.
The housing firm is remaining bullish about the proposals and said it addressed the problem of providing much-needed affordable homes in the area and that replacement facilities are factored in, with some, such as the pool and the gym, being available elsewhere.
Howard Pearce, from Bloor Homes: “It is an exciting site and it delivers on much-needed affordable homes.
“We are pleased to be building homes in a bustling environment, and with the replacement facilities hope to make it an exciting area to live.”
Mr Pearce said the firm understood there would be a level of negative feeling as leisure centre members did not want to lose their club but stressed they would be catered for as much as was possible.
