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Delivering a town centre fit for the 21st century is one of of the priorities et out in the new action plan
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Council's priorities set in new action plan

By Jennie Slevin
February 25, 2013

A town centre fit for the 21st century and a borough where people feel safe are some of the priorities outlined in the council’s action plan.

The council has promised to improve Bracknell bus station, create better public spaces and encourage landowners to refurbish unattractive buildings, in a bid to help achieve the town centre regeneration.

It hopes plans to develop nearly 10,780 homes in the next 13 years are given the go-ahead.

The council’s executive approved 11 medium term objectives (MTOs), which highlight six main priorities for the financial year, including protecting and enhancing the environment, promoting health and achievement, sustaining economic prosperity and providing value for money.

Each MTO is bound by a list of key actions to ensure it remains relevant to what the borough needs, such as producing a strategy for Market Square as part of the regeneration project.

Timothy Wheadon, Bracknell Forest Council chief executive, said: “You’ll see the vast range of activities we will be working on which make a real difference to the quality of life.

“This is a very demanding, but hopefully achievable plan.”

The Site Allocations Development Plan Document (SADPD), which sets out where the 10,780 homes will be built before 2026, has caused concerns with neighbours who are worried large areas of parkland will be paved over.

But councillors have set out a key action which will endeavour to protect green belt land.

Another key action is care and education for children and young people, including finding more foster carers and adoptive families.

At the executive meeting on Wednesday, February 13, Councillor Dr Gareth Barnard said: “It’s our aim to support all children and the help them thrive safely and this is shown in the ongoing focus on schools improvements.

“GCSE results show we are above the national average and that’s something we should be incredibly proud of.

“We’ve seen an unprecedented increase in children deemed to be at risk and I believe this points out we are finding these children and keeping them as safe as we can.”

Improving Ofsted results in schools across and more support for school leaders are also included in the MTOs.

Cllr Paul Bettison, council chairman, said: “It’s extremely beneficial for us to ensure all these actions should remain relevant and that we can work towards achieving them.”

The key actions will assist and guide the council in the next year of its work, making sure people living in Bracknell Forest get the best quality of services.

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Most recent user comments 12 of 12

Thank you for the link PRB.

Totally harmless and unlikely to scare the populace. Those MTBs are the bare minimum this council should be doing and if they aspired to do less then they wouldn't be fit to represent the people of Bracknell Forest. Some of them aren't fit in any case.

timespassing
25/02/2013 at 20:06

Bracknell Forest's MTOs can be found here: http://www.bracknell-forest.gov.uk/mediumtermobjectives Something that I can honestly not found is around the Bus Station refurbishment. That's another mistery of the Bracknell regeneration: the money are there, but it seems they don't know what to do with them...

PRB, Bracknell
25/02/2013 at 19:44

There goes another rib!

HK, bracknell
25/02/2013 at 15:58

I hope that, once they have pulled Winchester House down, before they build something else there, they do some wind tunnel modelling with the new building to ensure Bracknell is nolonger "The Windy Town." The day Winchester House was built, the flow of wind around the town centre changed for the worse and ever since then, visitors to the town have had to endure gusts and strong winds. I hope that the great and good have already completed some wind flow modelling in relation to the new buildings they will start on shortly for the regeneration.

Tonk, Wokingham
25/02/2013 at 15:56

Oh Win, did you not hear that MBW didn't tell the Bracknell News the market would be outside in Market Place? Market Square appears to be in 2 places on the plans yet he seemed to say it was going in Market Place (that doesn't appear on the plans) – oh yeah, no he didn’t. Confused? Me too!

HK, bracknell
25/02/2013 at 14:47

"...producing a strategy for Market Square as part of the regeneration project"

So they don't yet have a strategy for Market Square? Didn't Mr Brunel-Walker suggest otherwise last week?

Winstanley, Bracknell
25/02/2013 at 14:40

Seeing as Comer Homes won't be doing anything this side of the general and local elections in 2015, now is the time for civic minded individuals to come together - plan an Independent election campaign on putting Bracknell FIRST - and when we boot these time serving politicians out we can set about demolishing Winchester House as the first symbolic gesture of a re-awakened Bracknell.

There has to be any number of actions that can be taken legislatively to get this bl**dy building pulled down, and in the process making sure Comer Homes never set foot in this town again.

Winstanley, Bracknell
25/02/2013 at 14:38

Tom is right, the council simply wouldn't be able to afford to CPO 3M. It will cost shed loads to bring it down and as I've said before, the probability of it having aesbestos in it is high and so that will be a huge job to strip. I just hope they don't rely on Comer to do the job as they can't seem to complete many of their projects and leave them half finished or in a diabolical state (so many of their customers have reported).

HK, bracknell
25/02/2013 at 14:01

It will be the 22nd century by the time its completed.

R Smith
25/02/2013 at 09:58

Wiztwas - you have got to be kidding right????? They paid well over £10m apperently for the property, refurb costs of probably another £5m at least!

Thats another reason the Council can't CPO the building ... it would cost too much and they would NEVER see a return!

Are you seriously suggesting that the building should be returned to its orgininal design!? what would the useage be? it cant be used for modern office space as there is not enough room for a raised floor or dropped ceiling for utilities .....

Knock it down and build something amazing .......

Tom Edwards, Bracknell
25/02/2013 at 09:58

Has "to build a town centre fit for the 21st century" been in the council's action plan for the last 25 years? Seems like they might finally do that now.

Megaman
25/02/2013 at 09:54

So the property speculators who own Winchester house will be encouraged exactly how?

By being given permission to demolish and build another monumental mistake of a high rise building and make huge profits?

No.

The only way to "encourage" them is to refuse planning permission for anything other than a refurbishment of the building. How?, by getting it grade 2 listed and refurbished to it's proper original exterior condition.