Bracknell secures £30m for town centre regeneration

Bracknell Forest Council and its development partner Bracknell Regeneration Partnership (BRP) has secured a £30m development agreement, to bring about the next stage of the town centre’s regeneration plans.

The money will see the old Bentalls unit completely transformed into a covered public space with new food and retail units – to be known as The Deck.

It will also enable Princess Square, to be remodelled into a modern centre which will link directly into The Deck.

Bracknell is the first post-war new town to be comprehensively master planned, demolished, re-configured and rebuilt.

The ongoing regeneration work started in 2011 when a new £6m Waitrose store opened on Bond Way.

In September 2017, the £240m The Lexicon centre opened, which includes a 12-screen cinema, shops and six public squares for events and activities

‘The signing of the development agreement between the council and BRP is an important step in enabling the next exciting phase of Bracknell town centre’s regeneration,’ said executive member for economic development and regeneration, Cllr Marc Brunel-Walker.

‘Currently, the retail market is tough and while The Lexicon is bucking the national trend with strong footfall and sales figures, the council was keen to ensure that these two key redevelopment opportunities were not missed due to retail and finance pressures. By working with our development partners we have secured that exciting next step.’

The Lexicon’s general manager, Rob Morris, added: ‘The redevelopment of this part of town will further the diversity of shops and leisure facilities in The Lexicon attracting even more visitors.

‘We are delighted that with the development agreement in place, work on Princess Square and The Deck will commence later this year.’