Quoted from polo

If you are unable to walk a few hundred yards from the nearest car parks (Football club, Wharf and Park Way) you will need to use a wheelchair or electric scooter - the new bridge is planned to be a low gradient for ease of use by these means.  

Have you ever pushed a wheel chair. How long is the walk way. Vehicle access is required to access the youth facilities and the arts centre for ALL, else certain people are being excluded in this community. .

I think you'll find this is all taken into account at the planning stage to ensure that provisions are made for people with a disability

Quoted from polo

.... and I am not a old codger as I heard one of the advisors at the display in the library call the Newbury public more advanced in years.  

Not very professional was it? Are you sure it wasn't a term for anyone that didn't like the the plans?

Building looks like UFO in the park. Or shall I say a WBFO or a TPCFO. Get the design right, could be more acceptable. Work it out for conservative Newbury. Think comtempary Victorian , AND I am not an old codger! (Extreme respect for the elderley). Not the place for inner city design. Looks like a rectangle with kindling wood. What is with the big screen.  We have a new cinema!! Look at the buildings in the enviroment. A bit of green grass on the walls is not an enviromental deal. A bigger mature architectural vision is needed. Really suburban at the moment. Some junior architect is trying to  make their name or does controvesy make a bigger company name!  That is a two way gamble and at the moment it does not work. I think this community network will have problems with the server soon, like the last time I wrote something!! Or I suspect all will be well as someone said to me it is a done deal. There is more issues to address else WBC will end up with a WHITE ELEPHANT. so short sighted.

Fact file sorry but as a Newburian it was a major representative of the biggest retailer in the town. I am not mistaken.

Factfile   tell me about the provision of access for disabilities. Not sure at the moment. I am sure someone on Newbury.net is connected well enough to explain, or have all the well managed able bodied answers!

What time and date is the planning application meeting. Does anybody know.

Quoted from polo

Fact file sorry but as a Newburian it was a major representative of the biggest retailer in the town. I am not mistaken.

Oh dear! It's easy to offend if you speak openly in a public area, you never know who is listening!

Quoted from polo

Factfile   tell me about the provision of access for disabilities. Not sure at the moment. I am sure someone on Newbury.net is connected well enough to explain, or have all the well managed able bodied answers!

There is some (70 pages to be exact) information here http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/planningandbuilding/pdf/156681.pdf

Quoted from polo

I know about the access under the A339 as I am a original generation of Newburian unlike some of the outsiders (cons) I met recently(last 48 hours) who can go home 20 miles away and shut the doors.

Sorry - I assumed you were unaware of it - following your comment:

Quoted from polo

Do you think they are going to knock NWN down and create a tunnel?

Quoted from polo

What time and date is the planning application meeting. Does anybody know.

No planning application has been made yet - they are talking about submitting the plans in January.  I am sure it will come before a planning meeting (most applications don't) - I guess there will be plenty of publicity nearer the time.

As part of the proposal is to extend the park into the Faraday Road area, would it not be rather more sensible to locate the pavillion there.  All the necessary services exist, no disruption and it would tidy a shabby area of the town.

Quoted from 40

As part of the proposal is to extend the park into the Faraday Road area, would it not be rather more sensible to locate the pavillion there.  All the necessary services exist, no disruption and it would tidy a shabby area of the town.

The arts centre could easily go there but it would certainly require the football club to be relocated. That would mean that the building in the park would have a smaller footprint and perhaps, with a more sensitive design, be acceptable.

One of the WBC representatives at the library assured me that a transit van is able to drive under the A339 using the existing tunnel. I think there would need some excavation to get that height clearance but probably not impossible. All the disabled 'old codgers' that polo seem to be concerned about will be able to drive in but not sure where they would all park on 'old codgers' night.

I'm not sure if Polo has read the thread through properly as most of his concerns are already asked and or answered.

I went to the exhibition yesterday and the general atmosphere was rather hostile.  The scaled model showed the development as a larger concern than is seen by the drawings.  It was loud and clear how people were concerned about the secrecy that has surrounded the project up to now.  It seemed to me that the younger the person, the less worried they seemed about the development.

Those that spoke negatively seemed to say...

Too big
Unattractive
Not viable
Expensive
Poorly located
Questioned the motivation behind the project

I heard very few voices, if any, of support so cannot say what those comments were.

Quoted from 9

The arts centre could easily go there but it would certainly require the football club to be relocated. That would mean that the building in the park would have a smaller footprint and perhaps, with a more sensitive design, be acceptable.

They are intending to relocate the football club anyway. In order to get planning permission for the pavillion they have to demonstrate they are providing an equivalent amount of new open space.  They plan to take this from the football club area.  As yet I have not heard what they plan for the rest of the football club area.  Parking?  More open space/park?  Or another building site?

The only functions in the pavillion that could not relocate to the other side of the A339 is the cafe.  And that would be better situated where the existing kiosk is - centrally located between the children's play area and the sports facilities. Include the changing room and toilets and you would have a far less obstrusive and far more acceptable solution.

Quoted from Greenham Common

.....  It seemed to me that the younger the person, the less worried they seemed about the development.

You are right there but I think the majority, and this may be an incorrect generalisation, do not bother too much with detail and take the view that buildings and their content have priority over open space, especially if the building has some vague reference to band practice rooms. This only applies until such time as they start courting and find the shade and seclusion of the park somewhat advantageous to their activities. They may also change their minds again when they marry and move into a gardenless box and need somewhere to take the kids to let off steam.