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Introduction

In 2010, planning permission for the £240 million regeneration project was granted to create 580,000 sq ft shopping and leisure destination in the heart of the borough of Bracknell Forest.

The Lexicon is the name for the new town centre in Bracknell, Berkshire, which opened on 7 September 2017.

History

Bracknell, a post-WWII New Town with a population of just over 77,000, is the first New Town to have its centre completely regenerated.

Princess Square was added to the central shopping district of the new town when it opened in 1984 by Princess Anne. The centre cost around £34 million to build. In 1973 Princess Anne opened Bentalls department store which has stayed synonymous with the town since then. Its legacy lives on through the new Fenwick store, located on The Avenue.

Outline planning permission for the regeneration was granted to Bracknell Regeneration Partnership in 2006, who worked in tandem with Bracknell Forest Council to see these plans become reality. A Compulsory Purchase Order was confirmed in 2008 which enabled the Council to acquire the remaining land required for the development.

Demolition of the town centre began in 2012, with major retailers signing up to the project including an array of popular retailers and leisure outlets.

With a nod to the past, The Lexicon combines a mix of the old and the new with street names like ‘Braccan Walk’ echoing the beginnings of the town.

The Bull public house is a welcomed restoration as the pub has stood since at least 1400. The building has undergone extensive refurbishment to include a generous, modern glulam beam extension.

Awards

In its first year, more than 16 million people visited the scheme. Bracknell reached 33 in the retail rankings (up from 255) and the number of visitors increased from between 4–5m in 2013 to over 16m by September 2018. By January 2019 Bracknell had risen to 29 in the retail rankings. It has also won major industry awards, including:

REVO 2017 Re:new Award (December 2017)
REVO 2017 Best of the Best Award (December 2017)
2018 iESE Transformation Gold Award, Community Regeneration Category (March 2018)
2018 iESE Transformation Best of the Best Award (March 2018)
Thames Valley Property Awards 2018 – Development of the Year (May 2018)
REVO Purple Apple Marketing Awards 2018 – Strategic Marketing ‘Winning Back Local Hearts and Minds’ (May 2018)
RICS Awards South East – Regeneration Category (May 2019)