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All regeneration projects are ambitious, but not many councils can say they are rebuilding an entire town centre from scratch. To claim Bracknell town centre has few fans would be a gross understatement. Even its Wikipedia entry on the Internet says it is in need of major refurbishment. But now, after several failed attempts, that could all change with the news that the Bracknell Regeneration Partnership (BRP) and Bracknell Forest Council are progressing with plans for the £750m regeneration of the town centre. ‘The problem with Bracknell is that everything is reaching the end of its shelf-life at the same time,' says council leader, Paul Bettison. ‘Bracknell was built in the late 1950s, when the height of shopping comfort was 10 feet of concrete overhanging the walkway. ‘The whole of the town needs to be rebuilt. It's a massive job. And not everybody has a spare three-quarters of a billion pounds in their back pocket.' Bracknell was designated as a new town in 1949, and the town centre itself is a classic 1960s concrete jungle. The council's town centre regeneration co-ordinator, Chris Mansfield, says Bracknell has much to offer, with 46 international company headquarters in the area, and a young, growing population. But, as Mr Mansfield explains, most residents choose to spend their money in nearby Reading or London, not in their own town centre. Mr Mansfield says most of the town centre is owned by either insurance giant, Legal and General, and global asset-management company, Schroders. Competing plans were put forward by both groups in the 1980s and 1990s, which culminated in a planning inquiry. ‘In the end, they were able to see the benefits of working together in partnership,' says Cllr Bettison. ‘I'm pleased, because it makes the development stronger since it has two major funders behind it.' Legal and General and Schroders formed the BRP in 2003, and started working together with the council to change the face of the town centre. In February 2006, a planning application was approved, in principle. In 2007, plans to regenerate the area took a massive step forward with the signing of a development agreement between the BRP and Bracknell Forest BC, the publishing of a compulsory purchase order, road closure orders and the start of geo-technical surveys. Development work on the town centre will begin later this year, and the new-look development will start opening in phases from 2012. The new town centre will boast 1,000 homes, as well as a mixture of offices, shops, cafes, restaurants, a public library and a new police station.There will also be open public spaces, better CCTV, and replacement council buildings. Nicholas Hare Associates has been selected as the architect for the civic centre. The company has been responsible for projects such as the Oval Basin in Cardiff and the Royal Courts in Guernsey. It is estimated that the project will create 7,000 new jobs, including many in the retail sector. ‘This town centre is being built to the community's specifications. And there is probably no other town in the country which can say that,' says Cllr Bettison. ‘With its mix of shopping, entertainment and housing, it's going to be a very different town. Seldom will anybody have seen a town built from scratch, but we're going to build the last town in England.' Cllr Bettison adds: ‘For many of our residents, Bracknell has been the shopping centre of last resort. It's been a hidden jewel in the borough's crown. ‘What we want to do is polish that jewel and make it visible from afar, so people will come and spend their money in their own town.'

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ECONOMIC GROWTH

Jewel in the crown of Bracknell

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