Town council release strategy to take Newbury forward

"This is an ambitious strategy which shows the council’s commitment to the people of Newbury"

NEW facilities for Victoria Park, improving the appearance of the BT telephone exchange building, more charging points for electric cars and entering Newbury into Britain in Bloom.

These are some of the aims of Newbury Town Council as it sets out its new strategy for the next two years.

The council also wants to set up a Newbury Development Trust to bring together the important stakeholders who can deliver the objectives of the town plan.

The chairman of the council’s Strategy Working Group, Miles Evans (Con, Victoria), said: “This is an ambitious strategy which shows the council’s commitment to the people of Newbury.

“The strategy sets out our aims and objectives and provides the policy framework within which the council will make its decisions and will inform our budget-setting and expenditure over the coming two years.

“It includes the ongoing services of the council and any additional services which the council might consider delivering in the future, as well as a number of new projects that the council wishes to undertake.”

The strategy outlines three policy areas to make Newbury a “better place to live, work and visit”.

These are – delivering services for the people; representing the “aims, ambitions, views and concerns of all the people of Newbury”; and “exercising good governance and best practice” to ensure “openness, transparency and accountability”.

Specific targets mentioned in the recently- released document are delivering new café facilities and changing rooms for the football pitch and tennis courts at Victoria Park, with the aim of achieving Green Flag status.

Improved signage and footpaths for walking and cycle routes to and from the town centre and local schools are also mentioned, as is the installation of charging points for electric cars.

The council has also said it intends to work with others to urge BT to improve the appearance of the BT tower in the town centre – an issue which has recently garnered public attention following suggestions to clad the building in a living wall.

The formation of a new Newbury Arts Council and a Newbury Sports Council are also in the pipeline.

The strategy in full can be downloaded from www.newbury.gov.uk and printed copies are available at the town hall.