Bracknell Town Centre 2032 Vision

BUSINESSTraditional ways of working are being disruptedby the accelerating pace of technological changeacross the UK. New competitors are rapidlyscaling and competing globally. Entire industriesare being transformed by new applications andbusiness models, devastating companies notagile enough to respond to a shifting competitivelandscape. Not since the onset of the industrialrevolution has technology been poised to play sucha transformational role in the lives of consumersand operation of businesses. The Internet of Things(IoT), smart cities, cloud computing, additivemanufacturing and artificial intelligence – to nameonly a few examples – will fundamentally changethe way people live and work.The future workplace will look radically different asemployers respond to a growing requirement for awork-health balance, with an abundance of researchdemonstrating links between employee wellbeingand bottom line financial outcomes.A range of factors from the changing geopoliticaland economic climate, changes relating to the UK’swithdrawal from the European Union, the increasingreliance on technology, changing demands forflexible working from staff, and a preference fortown centre locations rather than more isolatedbusiness parks all mean that businesses (and smallbusinesses and start-up companies in particular)are placing increasing importance on the flexibilityof their accommodation. Agile workplaces whichcan respond to these changes are important, and22BRACKNELLVISION 2032can be supplemented by additional floorspacefrom co-working concepts. Co-working can alsocreate a community between different businesses,which can disrupt industries and lead to innovativesolutions.In Bracknell, office rents are affordable incomparison to other Thames Valley locations,despite the town being home to a number of majorcorporate headquarters and head offices. Whileprime headline rents are currently 25 per sq ft inBracknell, they are up to 37.50 per sq ft in Readingand Maidenhead. However, there is a lack of towncentre grade A office provision in Bracknell, partlydue to the historic location of the business parks onthe outskirts built upon the necessity for workersto travel by car, compounded by the conversion ofa number of buildings to residential use in recentyears. This highlights a significant latent potentialwithin the town centre for office development.There is the potential for a whole range of differenttypes of business accommodation to thrive in thetown centre, including small suites and co-workingspace for small companies and start ups. Supportedby the opening of the Lexicon, the town centre isexperiencing a change in perception which could beaccompanied by a new type of business communityand office provision within Bracknell.BRACKNELLVISION 203223

LIVINGSuccessful towns of recent years have focused notjust on providing certain property uses as identifiedwithin local plans, but by taking a holistic view ondevelopment to provide a high quality mixed-useurban environment and an organic approach toplace making. In practice this relates to residential,retail and office property uses being locatedside-by-side, in truly mixed use schemes andcommunities.Demographic shifts and an emergence of the“millennial” generation has led to an increasingtrend for people to desire being close to both localamenities and working environments. This trendis seen particularly across London; however highproperty values are forcing many people to relocateto regional towns and cities across the country,providing a significant opportunity for places suchas Bracknell.Bracknell Forest Council has delivered an averageof 376 dwellings per year for the last 5 years. Anannual figure higher than the current delivery rateis anticipated up to 2036 in order to meet thedemand for growth in accordance with the fiveyear projections. Whilst there are some significantschemes underway, particularly within the towncentre, there is still significant opportunity forfurther residential development to keep up withdemand.24BRACKNELLVISION 2032

LANDSCAPEBracknell is surrounded by great landscape, including the miles ofwalking and cycling trails in Swinley Forest and the sweeping parklandof Windsor Great Park. A key legacy of the New Town is the integrationof landscape and town, and Bracknell retains open space and extensivetree planting connecting the town centre with its context.Woodland covers approximately 38% of theBorough, making it one of the most denselycovered Boroughs in the UK. There is a mix ofplantation forest and ancient woodland, includingthe UK's largest collection of veteran oak treeswithin Windsor Forest.Bracknell Forest Borough also contains majorareas of heathland - a valuable environment forbiodiversity in the south east and protected as partof the Thames Basin Heaths Special ProtectionArea.This special landscape context provides largeareas of valuable amenity to the people living andworking in Bracknell, providing opportunities toconnect to nature and space for a wide range ofoutdoor leisure and sporting activities.The recent Lexicon development has embracedthis character through extensive planting includingsubstantial new trees, green walls and plantingwithin the streetscape. The scheme also integratesnatural motifs in the street furniture, drawing onlocal plant species for inspiration.Future development will continue this approach,connecting people and wildlife, to benefit localhealth and well-being, promoting biodiversity anddelivering the natural climate change resiliencewhich comes from having extensive and wellconnected areas of natural estate.Proposals for Bracknell will balance sustainable development inthe town centre with the need to retain the landscape influencesof the post-war character which link Bracknell with its countryside.BRACKNELLVISION 203227

Bracknell's existing road network meansthat the town centre is easily accessedby car. It also benefits from good busand train access. However, we also wantto make sure that more people are ableto access the town centre on foot and bybicycle, using safe, direct and attractiveroutes from the surrounding areas.CONNECTIONSBracknell was one of the first wave of New Towns,along with contemporaries including Stevenage andHarlow. Like these similar developments, Bracknellhas a very particular approach to cars, pedestriansand cyclists. The New Towns were designed tosegregate different modes of transport to removeconflict between uses. The design of the town, withseparate residential and business neighbourhoodsaway from the town centre provides a further levelof segregation.Whilst this approach has made Bracknell wellsuited to the car, it makes walking and cyclingless attractive, partly due to the longer distancesinvolved with low density development but alsodue to the safety concerns of the underpasseswhich are integral to the segregated design28BRACKNELLVISION 2032Car use and ownership is likely to change rapidlyover the coming decades. Whilst it is realistic toexpect that vehicles in some form will continue tobe part of the way we live and get around, makingthe town centre more accessible on foot and bybicycle will help more people to choose the healthy,low-impact option.This approach can be facilitated by a series ofdevelopment projects on the fringes of the towncentre which start to reconnect the centre withthe wider town. The existing road structure can beremodelled to reduce the amount of land taken upby tarmac, freeing up space for other uses.BRACKNELLVISION 203229

CONNECTIONSOne of Bracknell's advantages as a New Town isits extensive network of planned, segregated cycleways. Whilst many towns and cities are strugglingto retro-fit cycling facilities to existing streets,Bracknell has a significant head-start on the trendtowards more walking and cycling in urban areas.Bracknell's size means that most of the peopleliving or working in the town are under threekilometres from the town centre - an easy cycleride on safe cycle paths. Even a small switchfrom walking to cycling could take hundreds ofcar movements off our roads every day, reducingcongestion, improving air quality and helpingpeople stay fit and healthy. Dockless bike schemescan make cycling an easier option, whether or notyou already have access to a bike.A series of elements have been identified asimportant to bring the existing cycle network up tothe best standards:At grade-crossingsThe existing network of cycle lanes relies onunderpasses and over-bridges to cross roads. Theroads in turn have been designed to act as carfocussed freeways rather than urban streets. As wetransform the street network, more of the crossingpoints can be normal surface crossings, makingthese safer and more attractive for everyone.Continuity along existing routesThe best cycle routes are continuous, direct andeasy to follow. There are opportunities to improveour existing cycle routes by giving them a higherpriority in junction design to make them ascontinuous as possible.Extending the networkAlthough the New Town plan delivered extensivecycle routes some later areas of the town weremore car focussed in their design. This needsto be addressed to make sure that facilities forpedestrians and cyclists are accessible across thetown.Cycle parkingNew cycle parking has been provided as part ofthe Lexicon scheme in safe, prominent locations.This approach should be extended to other keydestinations in developments around the edge ofthe town centre.30BRACKNELLVISION 2032Tackling Bracknell's roundaboutsThe existing roundabouts handle major throughroutes, local traffic and access to car parksand servicing. Pedestrian and cycle routes aresegregated into underpasses on the originalroundabouts or at grade on more modern ones.Relocation of the car park access and serviceaccess directly from the main road will simplifythe roundabouts and could also remove theneed for some elements of the inner serviceroad - the Ring.These changes mean that the roundabout can besimplified to two signalised junctions in place of sixsets of signals which operate at peak time in theexisting arrangement.The changes to the road layout release land whichis no-longer required as operational highwayspace and can be developed. It also allows formore normal streets to be created, with integratedpedestrian and cycle facilitiesBRACKNELLVISION 203231

UNLOCK GROWTHBracknell now Lexicon scheme delivered,including new FenwicksDepartment store and newCinema Bus station improvementsdelivered New Waitrose delivered Town centre public realmimprovements delivered32BRACKNELLVISION 2032Short term Identifying and unlockingkey sites with immediatedevelopment potential,including Easthampstead House Catch and steer on emergingprojects to align with futurevision Develop meanwhileopportunities on fallow sitesMedium term Deliver highway changeswhich unlock further sites andcomplete the street network Re-provide the bus interchangefacility as on-street provision torelease the bus station site Complete initial phases ofdevelopmentLonger term Opportunity to extend thedeveloping street network tothe west, integrating the PeelCentre and connecting thewestern industrial area moreclosely into the town centreBRACKNELLVISION 203233

SHORT TERMRedevelopmentof the formerWinchester Housesite in progressDevelopment on the westside of Market Street and onthe medical centre car parkcreating new street frontageInitial opportunitiesThere are a number of great opportunities for earlydevelopment across the town centre.Easthampstead House and the adjacent library inthe north east corner of the town centre providea clear opportunity following the relocation of theCouncil to alternative premises. This strategic siteadjacent to the new Fenwick store would extendthe town centre to the east and will be well linkedwith both colleges.Redevelopment or re-use of theexisting Council offices library,retaining the existing serviceaccess to the rear of FenwicksMeanwhile usesThere is a great opportunity to bring a range ofcultural uses to enliven Bracknell and specificsites in advance of development.This includes pop up cinemas and bars withinvacant car park land, festivals, exhibition space,and markets. Temporary art installations,lighting schemes, new green walls and newstreet furniture would also enliven the publicrealm.There is also an opportunity to develop the JubileeGardens site to the south of the town centre tocreate a development of significant scale as agateway to Bracknell, which currently provides apoor arrival point to the town centre.DesignFlexibility of use should be maintained across thesites. There are clear reasons for development ofresidential and office accommodation within theseareas as well as supporting retail and service uses.In addition, the cultural gap analysis has highlighteda deficit of cultural uses compared to other townswithin the Thames Valley; therefore there is akey opportunity to provide this within a range ofoptions including museums, theatres, E-sports hubsand other venues.AppearenceThe designs proposed for the new buildings are intended to be both livelyand memorable that will engage with visitors throughout the day andinto the evening. The grand steps are a focal point when approachingthe site south along Eagle Lane or west down the High Street. Thesentinel buildings either side of the steps are a pair and intended to beread together, the tall shopfronts within the accented sloping shopfrontopenings together with the high level canopies sweeping ones view intoand up the steps.Signage above the upper square roof will be clearly visible on the approachat distance and will advertise that something worth seeing is at the top ofthe stairs enhancing wayfinding through the town centre.The High Street FacadeA key contributor to the appearance of these buildings is the proposed use of LED lighting strips. These aregenerally to be located in the soffit of the cladding where the metal panel will oversail the timber areas, in thisarrangement light will wash down over the timber planks accentuating their texture and colour, the effect is bestappreciated in the cgi’s.Redevelopment of theformer Bentalls site, creatingimproved connections fromthe Lexicon to the PrincessSquare shopping centreWhere the buildings have canopies these are generally to be cantilevered save by the steps where simple steelcolumns are introduced to accentuate the balconies as places to look to and from. The soffits of the canopieswill be clad in timber with a pressed metal fascia, again LED light strips will highlight the flowing lines of thedesign. There will be a degree of response to changing light levels with additional strips lighting up subtlyadjusting the appearance of the building.The High Street frontage buildings offer a combination of materials intowhich the tenants can fit their own image and branding. A vertically laintimber (such as western red cedar) provides an immediate border extensionof the apparent shopfront. Outside and above the timber border is aflat metal panelled rainscreen cladding designed using triangular panelsto reflect the shape of the primary shopfronts and to readily follow thecurved building facades. The colour of the metal cladding is to have aniridescent two tone finish such that its colour will vary with the angle ofview and under different light conditions, a contrasting diamond patternwill be achieved by the occasional reversing of the panels ‘against the grain’.Alucobond panels with a ‘Spectra’ Finish would be a good example of theanticipated panel and finish.Within this building backdrop the major shop fronts are then able to besimply glazed utilising conventional curtain walling systems - the curves onthe large radius’s will be facetted. Tenant signage will then be fitted withinthe glass and timber shopfront zone. Landlord signage zones will be appliedonly to the metal panelling as individual letters or logos either halo lit orinternally illuminated.Illustrative CGI - View from the Bull terraceInfill development to the rear ofTime Square, establishing futurepotential street connectionsbetween Market Street andfuture development to the west.Development on the existingopen space to establisha north-south pedestrianstreet reflecting the existingstrong desire lineRedevelopment of the RoyalBritish Legion site and landto the south creating newstreet frontage establishingthe east-west street whichwill link to Mount Lane4634BRACKNELLVISION 2032BRACKNELLVISION 203235

Our vision for the site of the existingEasthampstead House. This illustrationdemonstrates the potential for towncentre uses and homes focussedaround great public realm. This projectis also an important first stage inimproving the walking and cyclinglinks to the colleges and the residentialareas beyond.Opportunities forroof-top amenityspace for homesTown centre living with a good connection to thestreet will help the town centre to feel safer andmore attractive outside of normal shopping hours.AM to draft illustrativeexamples for the Council areawith artist's illustration of theview from FenwicksExisting view

CIVIC QUARTERNew mixed use developmenton the site of EasthampsteadHouse including options for areplacement library and potentialfor new cultural activities.Road network remodelledto remove the existingroundabout and reducethe number of junctionsAt-grade pedestrian/cyclecrossings integrated intothe revised road networkto improve accessibilityExisting High Streetunderpass removed andrestored to an at-gradecrossing38BRACKNELLVISION 2032Existing Church Roadunderpass removed andrestored to an at-gradecrossingBracknell's original civic quarter is an important part of thetown centre in terms of establishing strong connectionswith the colleges and the surrounding residential areas. Theexisting road network dominates, but there is great potentialto make access simpler and to unlock land trapped by thehighway layout.The proposed framework for the area establishes a muchclearer and strong connection for pedestrians and cyclistsinto the existing town centre. It integrates with the existingroad network to create a more normal network of streetsand spaces - ideal for a mix of uses including housing withcomplementary town centre uses animating the ground floor.Easthampstead House, the Library and the Magistrates Courtprovide the initial development opportunities and have theadvantage of already being fully integrated with the easternend of the Lexicon scheme. There may also be the potentialto develop some elements of the wider area within existinggreen space prior to the remodelling of the main junction.The removal of the former Met Office roundabout has thepotential to unlock significant areas of land and completethe street network. Other elements such as the site of theexisting Police Station may also come into considerationalongside a series of more local revisions to the road networksuch as the removal of the High Street underpasses at TheRing and Chur

Bracknell Town Centre 2032 is the new vision which sets out the way forward for Bracknell's town centre. Over the coming decade, Bracknell will realise its potential as a strong town centre, serving a prosperous and dynamic area. It will draw on its twentieth century New Town character and