Twenty-five years on

Autumn/ Winter 2009

With the approaching age of 75 years one cannot but reflect on the past 45 years of ones life while living in Berkshire within the Bracknell and Wokingham communities. At the raw age of 29 years, when getting married brought one to the area, I did not know how life would pan out for then the horizon was the career move, the new martial status and, in due course, children; a planned family life that was the norm of this time. And, of course, life followed this track and there seemed to be nothing to fear. But then, under the labour Government of Prime Minister Harold Wilson, a recession came about that brought with it a difficult trading period for businesses, particularly those considered to be in the luxury trade, for the Government, as a means of raising funds, introduced its luxury tax: a tax that severely hit businesses selling what was then classified as luxury goods, and this included the garden centre business in the industry that gave me my employment on moving to Berkshire. Sadly, in 1967, just four years since I moved to Berkshire, the local family business collapsed and I had to consider and rethink my future family life.

For someone who had spent the past 10 years training and working as an accountant, this was a whole new ball-game; opportunities arose where I could have taken a job in London but, quite frankly, commuting daily was just not my cup of tea. So I decided instead that I must look for an opportunity, a business opportunity, and I started to search the area for a site on which to establish a new garden centre and tree-growing nursery. This search took me to Amen Corner, where I still am, and I came across the Old Binfield Brickworks, quite ruined by years of inactivity and scarred by the dumping of the New Town development spoils into the old brick clay-pits.

This was an exciting find for I could only see opportunity despite the condition of the ground and buildings; 60 acres of spoiled land adjoining the Bracknell New Town, that was surely an opportunity with great potential for success in the future. For me, the next 20 years of my life was forming in front of my eyes. And so, I set about planning my strategy for the future that I foresaw.

Decisions had to be made and the most important one was to sell our home to provide funds for the purchase of the Old Brickworks site. I had for many months been negotiating with the – investment company that owned the asset, and now reached that time that one always does in a purchase. A deal had been agreed and it was time to show the colour of ones money. Fortunately, the bank was fully behind my plans and, with the sale of the house, there was sufficient money to complete on the deal. The sale of the home did cause a few months of hardship but rented accommodation soon overcame this sticky period.

Skating at the Bracknell Ice Rink

With the family growing up, I spent many years working hard in a variety of ways to bring the land back into use through reclamation. I suppose that the most gratifying was driving a bulldozer for over four years spreading the imported inert materials to prepare the scarred land for future development. This together with many years of working with the planners on a concept for a leisure centre on part of the Old Brickworks site proved to be a most interesting and satisfying period of my life.

Bracknell ski school

A concept that presented a parkland setting with a dry ski slope, ice rink, garden centre and hotel, a conceptual vision that also included a small business park on the area of the old tile drying sheds. Planning permission for this scheme was finally granted in 1979 after many years of planning submissions.

Synchro skating

Also, at this time, with a change in the planning policy for the Amen Corner area, the means to finance the proposal arose. This took place in 1980 when, through obtaining planning permission for commercial development on a large part of the Old Brickworks site in Amen Corner, a sale to Hewlett Packard took place. This assured the funds to develop the John Nike Leisuresport Complex.

A facility for the community run as a private business but subsidised heavily to provide the leisure complex we see today, a facility that was built not only for Bracknell but also for our neighbouring town and district of Wokingham. Even the wider communities would be able to enjoy the pastimes of ice-skating and skiing at the John Nike Leisuresport Complex.

A comfortable outlook one would say – more Bracknell than Wokingham, but it is my belief that I serve both, if not the wider communities, as well. In 1985, the ski centre in Bracknell opened, after an interesting planning period, and the linked ice rink, then under construction, opened in 1987, the complex providing a welcomed and essential leisure facility for the community.

I well remember the first Christmas period arriving and my crushing realisation that the children receiving ice skates as their Christmas present would not be able to have that Christmas morning adrenalin rush of jumping out of bed to enjoy their presents.

My decision was quick and easy, to open the rink, free of charge, as a Christmas present to the whole community; to welcome not only those that received ice skates but also to welcome those that would simply like to be up and about on Christmas morning enjoying life through leisure and pleasure. What better than family ice-skating on Christmas Day – a traditional festive family day?

I have great joy as the Christmas period approaches for I know that the ice rink I developed 25 years ago is still bringing great joy to so many. Snow White on Ice is this year’s pantomime, the 22nd production to be presented at the Bracknell Ice Rink, performed by our magnificent Bracknell Ice Skating Club members who have been training for this moment for most of the past year. As one production finishes another begins! These are amateur productions that have all the class of professional productions through the talents of the performers, the teachings of the tutors, the caring of the parents, and the enthusiasm and skills of the behind-the-scenes team.

It is over this 25-year period that I have seen many changes happen in Bracknell for community growth and the improvement in the town and borough facilities but the one great improvement needed is still being sidelined by failures in the political system.

In June 1989, the Bracknell Forest Borough Council’s Town & Country newspaper proudly ran an article that announced ‘NEW PLANS FOR TOWN CENTRE’ which stated that the Borough Council “has now turned the spotlight on the town centre itself” following the success of the Peel Centre provision that has significantly boosted the shopping facilities available.

Twenty years ago, this announcement seemed to greatly state that Bracknell was moving forward from the ‘new town’ identification of the fifties with proposals, not only for modernising the town centre, but with new housing proposals under a revised version of the North Bracknell Local Plan. We have seen during this 20-year period developments of housing at Jigs Lane, Warfield; Lawrence’s Brickworks and adjoining land; enlargement of Bullbrook, Jock’s Lane, Binfield; recent development of the Royal Air Force Staff College and Jennetts Park, to name but a few. Linked with this large increase in population growth commercial development has taken place in an effort to keep pace with employment requirements. All of this has brought significant improvements to the Borough of Bracknell Forest.

What is missing? A town centre that can be proudly shown off to one and all! It is not the fault of the local authority planners or councillors. It is not the fault of the development consortium that has spent years bringing about a redevelopment scheme that will invigorate Bracknell. It is the fault of the Government in firstly frustrating the proposals that have been tabled over the several years, then through not controlling the economy and bringing about the ?credit crunch’ that has financially frustrated the will for further investment at this time.

So what can we, the business and residential communities, do? Can we not form a pressure group to support the blooming of Bracknell through encouraging the blue chip retailers to engage with the Bracknell Forest Borough Council and the Bracknell Regeneration Partnership to invest in this town? Can we not continually tempt the well-known retailers with our support to let them know that the community of Bracknell is waiting for their ‘coming’? Can we not urge them to conjoin in talks with the Regeneration Team? As in any walk of life it is encouragement that brings results so let us encourage attention to this unique town of Bracknell – a town of opportunity. Let us en-masse encourage the investment by businesses in the retail space and space for new bars, cafes, restaurants, and leisure and entertainment facilities. I know that I want to see a buzzing Bracknell town centre, a modern town centre that remains open and alive throughout the evening and weekend. Don’t you?

I wonder if there is perhaps a place for a co-operative approach – an opportunity for the community members to buy investment shares in the regeneration, say one million shares at £100, a community stake of £100,000,000. Ten thousand community members buying 10,000 £1 shares each would bring in this amount. The more community investors, the more “realisable funding” availability. This is just a thought but I would be very happy to join a co-operative if it means the Bracknell Town Centre will be fully developed in the next three to five years.

It may seem that I have strayed but I have not for I have greatly invested in Bracknell and I want the investment to grow in value, I want my family to continue to benefit from the area and to be able provide a benefit for the area. To do this we must regenerate now. Any takers?

While you ponder, I do hope you enjoy this edition of Connections and will enjoy what is on offer over the festive season from the Nike Group of Companies based in Bracknell and elsewhere.

Do have a super, restful Christmas and an Exceptional and Prosperous New Year.

John Nike OBE DL

Group Chairman