In Basingstoke, a £500m regeneration programme headed by the local borough council is transforming Basing View with new office space and facilities at an urban business park. In Horsham, the county council has appointed urban regeneration specialist Muse Development to lead the transformation of Horsham Enterprise Park to meet future business demand. While in Canterbury, a multi-million-pound scheme involves the Hyde Group and Linkcity in a mixed-use scheme that will include housing along with a cinema, shops and a public square in the centre of the city.
Economic regeneration is taking place alongside a cultural transformation in Eastbourne, where the award- winning Devonshire Quarter has been a catalyst for further investment and regeneration in the town. The project includes improved conference facilities, arts venues and new tennis facilities.
Devonshire Quarter, Eastbourne
The experience of Maidenhead highlights how the drawn-out nature of planning approval can hamper progress. In August, a long-awaited town centre redevelopment project finally moved a step closer, but only after being granted a compulsory purchase order (CPO) to acquire the remaining land for the Landing, a mixed-use scheme that will include 431 new homes, along with extensive accommodation for office, retail, business and community use, and associated works.
Councillor Andrew Johnson, Leader of the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead Council and Cabinet Member for business, economic development and property, said: “We always seek initially to acquire land through private agreement, however, we aren’t afraid to use CPO powers as a last resort.”
Damien Sharkey, Managing Director of project developer HUB, said: “The Landing will deliver a fantastic new place to live and work in the heart of Maidenhead town centre.”
Top of the regeneration hotspots: Bracknell and Slough
Bracknell and Slough appear to be currently leading the way in the urban
reinvention stakes, with both ranked highly by
property industry experts. Property investment company SevenCapital’s list of the UK’s top five regeneration hotspots features both towns (the others
SELEP also gained support from the government’s Getting Building Fund investment to upgrade the Winter Garden, which includes lettable business spaces in the famous location.
SELEP’s Adam Bryan said: “Our investments have been made in projects which have been carefully selected to meet criteria around economic growth, jobs, homes, skills, innovation and those where additional investment from other sources can also be leveraged to maximise outputs.”
are Derby, Birmingham and Leeds). Property investment company RWinvest highlights what it considers to be the top 12 urban regeneration areas and it, too, includes Slough and Bracknell.
SevenCapital applauds Slough’s approximately £3 billion regeneration scheme that includes the Curve and Queensmere Shopping Centre. The Curve is a performance and cultural centre with a library, meeting and conference facilities. Marriott-branded hotels in the town are also attracting new business.
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We have demonstrated to government that they can have confidence in us to deliver its national capital growth programmes locally and to great success
Cecilia Bufton, Chair of Dorset LEP
In Bracknell, RWinvest’s assessment focuses on the Lexicon, the Deck and Princess Square. As part of the next phase of the regeneration of Bracknell town centre, the council is supporting the development of Princess Square and the area around the old Bentall’s department store. The Deck development will create new leisure and night-time economy uses and add various pedestrian routes through the town centre.
Making the connection in Reading
Witchall’s point about attracting private investment can be seen in Reading’s Green Park railway station project that will improve access to the area around junction 11 of the M4, close to the Reading’s football stadium. The
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SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021
businessmag.co.uk
urban regeneration
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