The town of Newbury is described by many as a great place to live with a friendly community, good local shops, and prestigious schools. 

But what do the actual residents of Newbury think? Would they agree with the general consensus or perhaps offer an opposing view? 

On a recent post to social media, a member of the public asked a group of residents what it was like to live in the town. 

Many agreed that Newbury is a great place to live with beautiful canal walks, great cafes and restaurants, and local independents. 

One resident said "I love Newbury. It has so much to offer. The canal runs through the town with a park on one side and locks and canal walk on the other.

"The wharf with its historic buildings is lovely. The Corn Exchange regularly puts on free events in the town which is supported well by the community.

"Residents can socialise with friends at restaurants and cafes within the town. Compared to other towns Newbury has a lot to offer for adults and children!"

Others chimed in to offer up their views on Newbury as a place to live, many holding the same sentiment as the previous commenter. 

Another person said "It's a nice size if you're not a city person, everything you need and easy to get to Reading or Basingstoke for shopping if you prefer.

"As mentioned above, there are plenty of events throughout the year, many of them free, organised by the corn exchange. I personally love how close we are to brilliant countryside walks and how many places there are to go close at hand."

In agreement with the previous comment, a further person wrote "Newbury as been through peaks and troughs over the years but at its heart is a wonderful place to live. Many lovely places to eat and drink.

"A canal that draws many people....so many swans. A few independent shops. Camp Hopson department store has recently expanded. No town is perfectly but it's location is great to reach the south coast."

However, a good deal of residents clearly feel that Newbury is becoming over-developed with too many new contractors building, or attempting to build, flats and new homes. 

One person said "The challenges are maintaining the character that makes this area so desirable and resisting the urge to become the next Slough or Basingstoke.

"We are currently trying to convince the Lib Dem Council not to allow high rise commuter flats in our town centre as it would completely change the look and feel of the town and would be a gateway development - in other words allowing other similar developments to follow."

Another person wrote "Lovely town. Needs to resist developers wanting to make money with high rise flats in town centre. Newbury needs to keep it's historic rural character."