Reading
Enews – April 2009
Reading station interchange
The government’s Community Infrastructure Fund 2 (Round 1),
which allocates funds to support housing growth in designated Growth
Areas and Growth Points has awarded £4.7m to Reading Borough
Council’s Transport Service for the Reading Station Interchange.
Support for Business
Reading UK CIC is organising a Support for Business event,
to be held at the Holiday Inn Reading South from 6 – 7.30pm
on 22 April 2009. In addition to hearing direct from Lloyds TSB and
RBS about accessing finance in the current economic climate, delegates
will learn more on:
• the government’s
finance schemes
• how to be ‘fit to tender’ for
London 2012/public contracts
• maximising
the opportunities of London 2012
Details will be posted on our web site on Monday 6 April: www.livingreading.co.uk
Reading UK CIC
A number of significant timelines for Reading UK CIC have been
met in the first quarter of 2009:
-
The new livingreading.co.uk web
site is now live and being refined on a daily basis
-
The Company
is now the official lead on the Reading Diamond
for Investment & Growth and
meetings are being scheduled with the Leaders and Chief Executives
of West Berkshire, Wokingham and Bracknell Forest Councils to
establish an initial consultation process on Diamond matters.
-
The
BID Renewal Ballot was successful and BID2 went live on 1 April
2009.
-
The Skills Summit has been delivered and will
be followed by a Support for Business event on 22 April.
The Skills
for Business initiative is ongoing.
-
SEEDA’s Area Director
(Surrey & Berkshire)
has been appointed a Non-Executive Director of Reading UK CIC.
-
Reading
Borough Council’s Cabinet has endorsed
that the co-ordination of delivery of 19+ skills
accredited qualification related training be taken on by
Reading UK CIC.
-
And if you haven’t yet seen our new lifestyle/regeneration
magazine – R:UK – have a look at this link: http://www.rukmagazine.com/index.html
Inward/investment
BG Group has agreed to acquire a 70% stake in Pure Energy, in a
deal that values the Australian coal-bed methane producer at GBP
497m. BG, 100 Thames Valley Park Drive, Reading, RG6 1PT
http://www.bg-group.com
Chewing gum manufacturer Wrigley is expanding its office at Goodman’s
Arlington Business Park and has signed up for a total of 8,246 sq
ft.
Long Tall Sally is relocating to 17 Queen Victoria Street
from Bristol & West
Arcade on a new 10 year lease subject to a tenant only option to
break at the end of the 5th year, valued at £49,000 per annum.
Eyesite is relocating to 142–143 Friar Street from the
northern entrance of Union Street on a new 10 year lease with an
upward only review at the end of the 5th year, valued at £75,000
per annum.
Planning
An application has been submitted for a change of use at 8 Queen
Victoria Street from A1 to A3 restaurant, with alterations to the
rear elevations (re-submission of planning application 08/01625/FUL).
IT Climate Leadership Challenge
The Greenpeace IT Climate Leadership Challenge is aimed at the
IT sector’s potential to bring about decisive action at the
Copenhagen Climate Change Summit in December. For more details
see:
http://www.greenpeace.org/international/campaigns/climate-change/it-climate-leadership
Retail
Broad Street Mall
Billabong has rebranded to Two Seasons.
Applesnow (fashion) has agreed a 6 month licence on 44
BSM.
West Berks PCT has agreed to lease 9,550sqft on the first floor
for a GP surgery.
The Oracle
Las Iguanas is scheduled to commence shop fitting next
to Giraffe (Riverside) on 6 April and is to open on or
around the first week in June.
Costa Coffee on Town Mall Walk is due to open in the second
week of April.
Faith and Envy have gone in to administration (Upper Mall
near Starbucks).
Parchment on Town Mall Walk has gone in to administration.
Mango on the Lower Mall has now completed its new shop
fit and is open.
Climate change
A new Reading Climate Change Partnership is being
set up by Reading Borough Council. The ultimate purpose of this partnership,
along with the detail of how it will operate, are all open to discussion
and influence at present.
A consultation workshop is being held on 27 April, in Reading Town
Hall, to gather views from a wide set of key stakeholders: from business,
public and the voluntary sectors, on a range of issues relating to
the new partnership.
To find out more and get involved contact climate.change@reading.gov.uk
Tim Smith
Executive Director
Reading UK
CIC
2 April 2009
This newsletter
is for general information only. Whilst it is
believed to be
correct, it should not be relied
upon for any commercial or
other decision
of value. |
