NEWBURY CHEQUERS HOTEL & CINEMA

Scaffolding has now been removed from newly painted Chequers Hotel. Great improvement. Ground floor window frames still await restoration but building looks quite grand now.

Activity on cinema site - steel framework is appearing.

PARKWAY NEWBURY VIEWS OF CLEARED AREAS

The clearing of the old buildings continues. Today the area was being levelled and compacted - looks as if we're getting a new cricket pitch! Plenty of staff and plant on site.

West Street did re-open on Monday. Found a programme of works on the web - runs to 116 pages.

CHEQUERS & PARKWAY

Good to see the renovation of The Chequers is making progress. A rather more extensive project than anticipated I think? It was looking very sad and hopefully will be restored to former glory.

In Parkway the demolition of the small buildings and parking areas is more or less complete. A lot of plant on site and activity in many areas. One of the interesting things this week was watching the recovery of topsoil. It was being 'sifted' out of a digger bucket and gathered in heaps around the site - see image, taken through the mesh fences. Good to be able to see this activity - if the site was surrounded by hoardings we shouldn't know what was happening on the site - as is the case with the cinema site!

BROADWAY BLOCKED

On Monday 3rd. November West Street was closed. Park Street was still closed to through traffic - it was open for access and 2 way traffic as far as the barriers near the eastern end, so, as predicted, The Broadway became a dead end between 10am and 6pm. Might be an idea to put up a sign near the clock house to prevent traffic entering The Broadway and then having to turn round and come back again.

MORE GONE TODAY

Car wash next to M & S all gone now. Office block at northern end of Parkway is going = not sure when it was built - sometime in the last 20 years I guess.

West St. due for closure between 3.11.08-17.11.08. Hopefully Park St. will re-open. If it doesn't the Broadway will be a dead end between 10am and 6pm.

Would be interesting to see a 'Programme of Works' for this contract - as it is every day is a voyage of discovery for Newbury residents.

Wonder if there has been much effect on the town's retail trade? Nothing in the local press about it - so far. If there has been an adverse effect probably best if we don't know - can't 'talk it down' then!

NOW YOU SEE IT, NOW YOU DON'T!

28.10.08
Demolition has started. The building at the side of Marsh Lane is going as I write. Who remembers the Sun Stores? Sold health foods before they were fashionable. Parkway motors has gone. I wonder if they are going to reclaim slates and bricks? They were hosing down the building as the destruction was happening, but the cars in the M & S car park might need a wash.

PARKWAY & PARKING UPDATE

23.10.08
Today I discovered where the cars are parking now that Parkway is out of bounds - Sainsbury's!
Really difficult to find a space. Had a chat with the Europarks attendant who was logging car numbers. I was told that the 'overstays' had increased enormously since the beginning of the month. Allowed 3 hours so obviously those drivers aren't shopping in the store.
Some piling has been done at the back of Woolworths - minor demolition along the Parkway side of the development. Lots of staff on site and about the area - 'All makes work for the working man'. Must be good for the coffee shops and takeaways if no other retailer - the hard hat and paper coffee cup seem to go hand in hand.
Traffic lights out of action on Robin Hood roundabout and traffic was flowing fairly freely. North/South takes priority, really because of the volume so can be a bit difficult getting out of the London Road, however, it seemed to be an improvement thus far. Of course, it's only temporary while phasing and things are re-jigged - let's hope it's an improvement. Only one way to go really isn't there?
More pictures soon.

Parkway and parking

A week on and not a lot has happened. A pile driver was delivered on Monday and Costain appear to have established their office with an entrance in Northbrook Street. Took a few photos but probably not worth posting.
Parking
1 hour FREE parking spaces have been created in Northbrook Street - or should I say 'had been' - yellow lines were overlaid with black and so about 7 spaces were available, nr the Methodist Church - well they lasted about a week - the exact area is now under a mini construction site - trenches, barriers etc - couldn't make it up could you?!

NEWBURY BERKSHIRE BLOG

29.09.2008

Today the Parkway re-development began. No parking allowed anywhere in Parkway which will simply be a through route, for vehicular traffic, to Parkway bridge and Camp Hopson's Department store car park. Pedestrians will be able to access Parkway and use the back entrances to M & S, Tesco and, I think, Woolworths. The whole area is divided up and sectioned off by tall metal fences - looks like a ghost town. Hopefully I'll be able to post on here the photos I took today.

This is my first effort at 'blogging' so let's see if I can make it work!