Benoy’s project to regenerate Wokingham Town Centre has won the Royal Town Planning Institute’s award for ‘Excellence in Planning for a Successful Economy.’ The project was selected out of a group of ten finalists, which included Glasgow City Council, Network Rail and East Hampshire District Council.
Our work at Wokingham saw us working across two sites – Peach Place and Elms Park Fields, as part of a wider regeneration project instigated by Wokingham Borough Council in the face of a failing retail and leisure offer, lack of town centre living and competition from nearby competing centres such as Bracknell and Reading.
Closely following Wokingham Borough Council’s vision, Benoy reimagined the town centre as a thriving destination for commerce and urban living; with modern retail formats, F&B, leisure and a significant quantum of residential across two mixed use developments at Peach Place and Elms Field.
The judges stated: ‘This project is ahead of the game. It’s a transferable model for other town centres to boost their economies and community engagement. Wokingham Borough Council had a very hands-on approach in revitalising the town centre by taking a whole place approach, which positioned all involved for success. This approach is not only innovative but replicable throughout the country. The judges believe their financial model especially will have a long-lasting contribution to creating a Successful Economy in the future.’
Commenting on the win, Bernie Pich, Assistant Director, Commercial Property at Wokingham Borough Council said: “This is a great result all round. Congratulations need to go to the whole team for all the hard work over the years and for sticking to the principles we knew were right. The award is a testament to all the hard work everyone has put into the project and the great designs we had from Benoy.”
Both Peach Place and Elms Field are now open and in full use, embraced by the local community as vibrant and engaging places to be.
Additional award nominations
We’re delighted to say that the Wokingham project has also been shortlisted as a finalist for two Planning & Placemaking awards (Promoting Economic Growth and Best Use of Public Land). In addition, the Peach Place Scheme has been shortlisted in the Thames Valley Property Awards (Development) and picked for the SPACES yearbook. SPACES have also shortlisted it for their Civic Building of the Year award.
Find out more: contact Mike McCormack, Head of Benoy’s Newark studio.
