But the Conservatives running West Berkshire Council say they are confident the new offices will attract businesses. They want to develop the 27.5 acre Newbury industrial estate in phases, and planning consultants say up to 280 homes, 3,473sqm of office space and 5,400sqm of space for other businesses could be built there. Cllr Lee Dillon, leader of the West Berkshire Liberal Democrats, said the pandemic and the severe economic downturn could have a significant impact on demand for offices. He said Covid-19 “has been that catalyst for accelerating flexible working” and “home working is likely to significantly increase.” He added: “We often find during a recession, if you go through the cycles, companies retract, they take on less staff and they need less office space.”