TOWN OF THE YEAR WINNER – BASINGSTOKE


This award was seeking a town or city that is implementing a growth strategy, enhancing its brand and encouraging investment and re-investment.


The three finalists were:


• Basingstoke – where £4 billion investment is set to transform the borough and its image.


• Bracknell – where the new Lexicon retail centre, opening in September, is set to regenerate the town.


• Reading – which celebrated a Year of Culture in 2016, helping to raise its profile as an arts destination.


The judges’ opinion


Barton Willmore, as a leading town planning consultancy, fittingly sponsored this award and its planning partner Kim Cohen, announced the winner as “a town that has a go-ahead, commercially-savvy council planning great things for the future.”


A positive approach and tangible change


Basingstoke & Deane Borough Council heads up a £4b investment programme, which includes regeneration of the Basing View business district, a potential 8,000 new homes, £40 million of road schemes, a big leisure scheme and retail designer outlet. Basingstoke has shaken off its old image to become an ambitious and fast-growing town, and the council’s positive approach is encouraging private investors and developers.


IN-TOWN OFFICE OF THE YEAR WINNER – THAMES TOWER


A towering triumph


Thames Tower is a major speculative office development by Landid/ Brockton Capital. The joint venture project, designed by dn-a architects, saw the original 11-storey 1970s building opposite Reading Station stripped back to its frame, floorplates extended and four floors added. With its 4,000 sq ft rooftop terrace and sky lounge, Thames Tower is helping to transform the rail-route gateway to Reading.


What’s it like inside? The contenders for this award were:


• Charter Building, Uxbridge – the former HQ of Coca-Cola now refurbished and modernised as a landmark building.


• No 9 Greyfriars, Reading – a high-quality, sustainable and flexible upgrade, close to the town’s key station area.


• Thames Tower, Reading – a 15-storey landmark tower, a gateway building to Reading, already being filled by tenants such as HSBC, BDO and Austin Fraser.


Jonathan Mannings and Guy Parkes of RARE (Real Asset Real Estate) presented the award trophy to Landid and Brockton Capital for their “iconic building”.


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Externally, added height was achieved with an award-winning structural solution involving a large steel exo-skeleton usually used for building large infrastructure or stadia, This changed the original building’s proportions and then external materials and design-lines were altered to create a true elegant tower. But, the inside is just as innovative and stylish, featuring exposed services, explained Landid development director James Silver.


“Everybody in Reading will know this building. That’s why we are working very hard to engage with the community, so that we get people into the building to experience the inside as much as the outside.”


Thames Tower offers a range of contemporary internal usage from café and restaurant to concierge services and co-working areas, Grade A office space to a shared-use communal floor with the building topped off by a magnificent viewpoint from The Roost, the hireable rooftop terrace that will stage regular events.


THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE – THAMES VALLEY – JUNE 2017 The winner’s reaction


Richard Bayley, B&DBC strategic project director for Manydown, said the award was great recognition for the hard work that council staff, business partners and residents had put in, supporting what was needed to grow and change Basingstoke in different ways – commercially, residentially and socially – to regenerate, and help its communities improve.


“We have the plans and finance. It’s now a case of stepping on, building all our developments out, getting building blocks in place so people will notice that we are really putting Basingstoke on the map now.


“We believe Basingstoke will become one of the South East’s most attractive centres to live in, work in and play in, and that’s exactly what we are aiming to produce.”


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