Locals support Bradbeers revamp in New Milton, but district planners voice concerns over design and impact on local character.
The store started in the 1940s, made of smaller shops. In the 1960s, they added a top level. The application says “very little” changed since then.
Bradbeers feels their windows are “dated”. A blue canopy tries to unify the look. The store thinks they make a key first impression, stating this for people entering the town.
They intend to make the brickwork black. They will render the ground floor. The upper part will be white afterwards. Old tile hanging gets replaced with new tile. They will remove unused windows and renew other ones.
The ground floor will get new shopfronts. A better entrance is planned too. They aim to refresh the canopy. Paint and fascias will be changed to white.
New Milton Town Council supports the plan strongly. They said it’s okay if it follows policy. One resident wrote a letter supporting them, praising Bradbeers for investing.
Someone also wrote about shopping areas failing. They said people should celebrate the business investing. Another person said Station Road needs freshening up, suggesting other stores might follow suit.
The Urban Design team appreciates investment, but feels the designs change the look. They desire a “high quality” design always and require something positive for the town. However, the information on the design feels limited.
The team added the look clashes neighboring buildings. The material change impacts local feel. Councillor Carpenter called the changes a “concrete block” and said she likes the old building style more.
The councillor clarified that she is not involved with planning. She said she likes old buildings in general. The A&T reached out to Bradbeers for their opinion.