focus on bracknell
Let’s go shopping … watch a film, or enjoy a meal
The Lexicon is a £240 million-plus lifestyle investment to transform Bracknell Town Centre into an exciting one million square foot shopping and leisure destination.
The Lexicon offers 580,000 sq ft of new shopping, dining and leisure facilities – 60 new shops, family restaurants, a 12-screen cinema, 1,300 space multi-storey car park, bus and rail station redevelopments, plus a revitalised Bracknell landmark in The Bull public house.
It has major stores such as Waitrose, M&S, Fenwick, H&M, Next, Topman, Topshop, Burton, Dorothy Perkins, River Island, Primark, and casual dining restaurants such as Carluccio’s, Zizzi’s, Pizza Express, Gourmet Burger Kitchen, Nando’s, Wagamama, Las Iguanas, Chimichanga, Coast to Coast.
The word ‘lexicon’ has Latin and Greek derivatives pertaining to the spoken word, and Bracknell’s Lexicon is certainly set to get people talking.
A future built on firm foundations . . .
Our contributors agreed that like several other Thames Valley towns, Bracknell benefits greatly from its west of London location with superb transport links, notably easy access to the M4, M3, M25 and Heathrow, and a range of pleasant countryside, residential and leisure amenities.
It doesn’t share the Thames riverside, but, for example, Windsor Great Park, Legoland and Ascot Racecourse are close by. Bracknell is also surrounded by attractive accessible woodland – hence the Bracknell Forest unitary authority name.
And, apart from that recent TVPA ‘Town of the Year’ accolade:
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For the second year running Bracknell Forest secured the joint top spot as ‘The best place to live and work in the UK’, as part of PwC and Demos Good Growth for Cities indexing
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According to research by property specialists leaders, Bracknell is also one of the best places to buy a home in the UK
It is in the UK top 3% for productivity,
With The Lexicon in mind, research by FSP Retail Business Consultants, reveals that Bracknell’s affluent catchment is set to triple to 879,000 by 2017, and one million by 2024.
Additionally, as L&G’s Simon Russian points out, the town was designed for growth. “Bracknell was a village, of course, and a New Town infrastructure was put in that enabled expansion, and that well-planned infrastructure remains very relevant to the future success of the town.”
. . . and a strong technology pedigree
Bracknell’s business community has always had a strong innovative electronics technology focus, perhaps a reflection on its pioneering New Town heritage.
Today, Bracknell continues to be home to an impressive number of European and UK business headquarters and multi-national technology corporations including Fujitsu, HP, Sharp, Dell, 3M, and Panasonic helping to create a buoyant level of employment and highly-skilled workforce.
And, the town has also hosted notable organisations ranging from The Met Office to BMW, Sperry Gyroscope to Siemens and the 1950-founded Racal Electronics – once Britain’s third-largest electronics firm and parent company of a spinout now called Vodafone.
“Bracknell is known for its large multinational IT companies – that is its identity – and that is no bad thing,” says Simon Fryer.
Why do businesses choose Bracknell?
Art product supplier Daler-Rowney has based its head office in Bracknell since 1969 and Waitrose for the past 25 years, recently confirming its links with a new supermarket by The Lexicon.
BSRIA is currently celebrating its 60th anniversary, most of it successfully based in Bracknell. Some staff have 40 years company service too, and live close by – so represent the spirit of Bracknell, says Clair Prosser. “Bracknell is a fun town in which to work, rest and play.”
She exampled the modern housing estate lifestyle, attractive parks, paths and cycle
THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE – THAMES VALLEY – SEPTEMBER 2016
The Lexicon (CGI)
routes, Bracknell Leisure Centre, Coral Reef Waterworld (refurbishing for 2017), the Look Out Discovery Centre, and South Hill Park, set in 24 acres and annually hosting over 300 shows, films and events, plus over 250 courses and workshops.
Nicholls added: “Bracknell Forest includes an enviable array of parks, open spaces and forest which gives residents the perfect balance of a thriving bustling business economy and an outdoors lifestyle.”
Finance broker and funder Tower Leasing moved from Windsor to larger offices at Columbia near Bracknell station and town centre in February this year. “Bracknell has invested heavily in various projects to improve the facilities and working environment for local businesses and the community,” explained Vanessa Cheung.
“Tower recognises Bracknell as an upcoming development area, and with many global head offices, it offers modern premises and convenient transport links.”
As a new company joining the area, access to local shops, a nearby park and places to go for social breaks or a stroll, were important for its staff.
“Bracknell also had a greater choice of office size and more value for money compared to other locations.”
Barinder Hothi agreed. “Bracknell provides good value for money in terms of square footage, especially compared to its neighbours Reading, Slough and Windsor.” The Knowledge Academy moved from its Windsor office in pursuit of more space 18 months ago. “We have settled well into our Bracknell headquarters.”
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