Newbury pedestrianisation trial to end early
The council admits the extended hours scheme hasn't been popular
The extended hours pedestrianisation of Newbury town centre is being ditched.
It will end two months earlier than planned, in September.
The move follows a public consultation exercise, in which more than 75 per cent of people rejected the current scheme.
But the council’s highways portfolio holder Stuart Gourley (Lib Dem, Newbury Clay Hill) says the scheme hasn’t been totally ruled out.
He says the idea of some kind of pedestrianised town centre will now be part of the Newbury town centre masterplan refresh.
“We made decision to roll it in with refresh of NTC masterplan and to end pedestrianisation trial from September,” he said.
“We want to give businesses a chance to make most of it through the summer months.
“We do have until November to run the trial, but it seemed a sensible time to stop it then.
“The key takeaways are that we have had more than 3,000 people respond to consultation.
“The majority was against this version of pedestrianisation… but people like the idea of it – just not the version we trialed.”
He said the decision to include any more permanent idea of pedestrianisation would be now considered in an ‘holistic’ town planning approach as opposed to in isolation.
“With Old Town (on the former Kennet Shopping centre site) being developed, it seemed to need a refreshed approach.
“The steering committee is set back up and will meet in the coming months.”
He said the masterplan would likely take another 12 months to complete.
“We have listened to the consultation and want to test and adjust it with more detailed holistic town centre planning.”
The extended hours for pedestrianisation were introduced in May 2025 as a time-limited pilot for 18 months as part of the delivery of the masterplan.
It set out to test how longer pedestrianisation might work in practice and to gather views from residents, businesses and visitors.
Impacts
A report published (Wednesday) and set to be considered at the council’s executive meeting next week, confirms that while many people welcomed the safer environment, a number of practical impacts on residents and businesses were raised.
This included access for deliveries, taxis and blue badge holders.
Stakeholders who supported the extended pedestrianisation hours highlighted a noticeably improved town centre environment, describing streets as safer and more pleasant for walking and crossing, particularly in the evenings, with cleaner air and reduced traffic noise improving residents’ quality of life.
Positive feedback also focused on the stronger ambience and ‘café culture’, with better conditions for outdoor seating and alfresco dining and opportunities to expand this alongside community events such as live music, night markets and seasonal activities.
Some respondents noted easier and safer access to venues like the Corn Exchange for evening performances, and others felt the traffic-free setting was especially beneficial for families, children and people with limited mobility, while a small number welcomed the space as supportive of active travel.
Negative comments largely focused on the transport and access impacts of the extended pedestrianisation hours, with many respondents reporting increased traffic on the A339, and concerns that diverted traffic worsened pollution.
A substantial theme was perceived economic harm, particularly to hospitality businesses, with reduced trade and practical disruption to deliveries, collections and takeaways.
Respondents also raised accessibility issues for disabled and elderly visitors due to the loss of blue badge access and safe drop-off points.
Finally, there were repeated worries about safety after dark, including the town centre feeling deserted or intimidating, antisocial behaviour, and risks posed by speeding bikes and e-scooters, with some suggesting the extended hours should be seasonal or otherwise limited and supported by measures such as cheaper evening parking and stronger enforcement.