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focus on bracknell .... continued


as “vastly preferable to the one to Paddington and Waterloo is a better-located London business district.”


Hothi commented that Bracknell has plenty of empty commercial property and space to rent, but a shortage of smaller quality space, particularly if you are a growing business with less than 50 employees.


Fryer noted that office vacancy had actually dropped from 30% of stock in 2008, to currently 13%.


Hothi also felt Bracknell needed to offer greater residential choice and more affordable housing, with startup hubs or ‘incubators’ for early stage businesses. “Ideally there would be a community or campus style feel to the area that will encourage and nurture entrepreneurial spirit in Bracknell.”


The Lexicon (CGI)


Not having CrossRail might actually help Bracknell change its commuter town image, remarked Russian.


However, Prosser felt the lack of CrossRail could be a threat for Bracknell, putting local congestion pressure on the road-links between the M4 and M3.


Hothi felt: “Bracknell is served by a reliable rail service and its roads are designed to prevent bottlenecks and allow free flow of traffic.”


Brunel-Walker advised: “We are working with South West Trains to improve the rail travel experience with longer and more frequent trains, in line with the growth of the town.”


Durden and Hothi felt a quicker London rail- link would benefit Bracknell.


benefit to the town, said Russian, since it would enable future decision-making and comprehensive sustainable management in the best civic interests of Bracknell’s core central area. Other towns often had to negotiate and overcome fragmented property ownerships within their core areas.


“Bracknell Forest Council is excellent, and has been massively encouraging to us in getting this long-standing regeneration project off the ground.”


Brexit: Keep calm and carry on


Fryer voiced the pragmatic mood of our contributors: “I don’t think Brexit will have a different effect on Bracknell to any other Thames Valley towns. But it remains to be seen what that effect will be.”


Will Bracknell miss the train … and could it use a bus?


Other Thames Valley towns will soon benefit from the imminent arrival of CrossRail (Elizabeth Line). Bracknell is served by a different mainline to London. Is that a problem?


Cheung pointed out that one reason Tower Leasing had recently chosen to relocate to Bracknell was for its various modes of transport choice, parking facilities within office buildings, plus its direct rail links to Reading and London Waterloo – convenient for those commuting to work.


Fryer judged the railway service to Waterloo 22 businessmag.co.uk


Hothi suggested intermittent train services that cut out stations, so reducing the hour commute to perhaps 30 minutes.


Fryer would like better rail and bus connections to Heathrow. As would Hothi: “A Heathrow shuttle would make it easier for staff, clients and prospects to commute to and from the airport; otherwise it is a very expensive taxi fare.”


A key decision-making strength going forward


The strong and ongoing BRP partnership formed between Bracknell Forest Council, and property owners Legal &General Capital and Schroder UK Real Estate, was a definite


So, how best do we sum up Bracknell’s future?


Perhaps the words of Bracknell Forest councillor Brunel-Walker after winning this year’s Thames Valley ‘Town of the Year’ award are adequate: “It is fantastic to see this acknowledgement of all the work and money that is being invested in our town. It’s even sweeter to win because of the people who nominated us, those on the awards panel, the property and investment companies, and all those who have considered us. It’s a jury of peers from around the area, whose opinion reflects that Bracknell is going places.”


THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE – THAMES VALLEY – SEPTEMBER 2016


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