issue three/autumn 2011

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3The magazine that tells you about Reading …

Business destination, luxury hotels, gastronomy and culture

CHATHAM PLACE

IN CONJUNCTION WITH

Muse Developments has successfully completed Phase 1 and is working with Reading Borough Council to bring about the next phase of development.

www.musedevelopments.com

SHAPing REAding’S FuTuRE

G56344 CP UK Mag ad_2011_273x205mm .indd 1 26/7/11 15:54:29

04 news A round-up of what’s been going on in Reading and who is in the news.

08 transport We look at Network Rail’s investment of £850 million in Reading Station.

10 housing Reading’s residential market is performing well, with new developments coming onstream.

14 round table Because we’re worth it – key players discuss Reading’s bid to win city status in 2012.

21 hedonism Shopping, eating or sauntering out for a drink? Reading packs surprises as a destination for celebration.

28 hotels and the visitor economy Reading hoteliers confident of a market well-placed for recovery.

34 arts and culture Patron of the arts, Sir John Madejski, on Reading’s treasures.

39 skills for employment Labour market supply: apprenticeship opportunities for young people, serving employers’ needs.

43 relocation Reading’s economic strength and quality premises attract multinationals.

46 did you know? Facts and figures about Reading.

© 3Fox International Limited 2011. All material is strictly copyright and all rights are reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without the written permission of 3Fox International Limited is strictly forbidden. The greatest care has been taken to ensure the accuracy of information in this magazine at time of going to press, but we accept no responsibility for omissions or errors. The views expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of 3Fox International Limited or Reading Council. 04 28

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COVER IMAGE: Roar of the city: the Maiwand Lion in Forbury Gardens.

ExECutIVE EdItOR: Siobhán Crozier FREElAnCE EdItOR: Sarah Herbert dEsIGnERs: Oswin Tickler, Gene Cornelius

PROduCtIOn EdItOR: Rachael Schofield hEAd OF busInEss dEVElOPMEnt: Paul Gussar OFFICE MAnAGER: Sue Mapara

MAnAGInG dIRECtOR: Toby Fox IMAGEs: Reading UK CIC, David Tothill, George Marshall, Petra Gent, Penta Hotels, Intercontinental Hotels Group, Malmaison, The Forbury Hotel, Haslams, LSQ2 Australian Grill, Network Rail, Muse Developments, Willmott Dixon, London Street Brasserie, St James, Reading College, The Style Guru, © Albert Nieboer/dpa/Corbis, Universal Pictures UK, © NTPL/Rupert Truman

PRIntEd by: Trade Winds

PublIshEd by:

Lower Ground Floor 189 Lavender Hill London SW11 5TB T: 020 7978 6840

On bEhAlF OF: Reading UK CIC(The economic development company for Reading)Davidson HouseForbury SquareReading RG1 3EUwww.livingreading.co.uk

dEstInAtIOn MAnAGER: Sue BrackleyT: 0118 900 1624

ExECutIVE dIRECtOR: Tim SmithT: 0118 900 1625

subsCRIPtIOns And FEEdbACk: www.rukmagazine.com

The magazine that tells you about Reading

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04

Fresh start for Station Hill projectSir John Madejski has sold Sackville Properties’ controlling share in the £400 million Station Hill development, in a deal which gives “renewed impetus” to the project – a joint venture partnership between property investment fund Benson Elliot Capital Management and developer Stanhope. Work is now expected to start in 2014.

The story of Station Hill started in 2005, when Sackville Properties bought the site. It won planning approval in 2007, but the design was called in by the then-secretary of state for communities and local government, Hazel Blears. Sackville then bought neighbouring Friars Walk and drew up plans for an extended scheme, gaining consent in September 2009, taking into consideration the government’s concerns: the height of the tallest buildings; and design of the central piazza.

Once complete, the 2-hectare site, next to the station, will become one of the largest commercial developments in the UK, at 150,000sq m, with over 83,000sq m of office space, along with retail and residential units, and leisure areas.

Designed by Scott Brownrigg and Chapman Taylor, it will include three multi-storey office buildings, the tallest standing at 26 floors. The smallest block will offer around 19,000sq m of floor space and the largest will be 30,000sq m.

The design of the building is expected to result in a BREEAM rating of ‘excellent’.

The latest news from Reading, which is the preferred destination for almost one-fifth of all foreign direct investment coming into the south-east of EnglandNews

First homes at Dee ParkHouses have gone on sale at Dee Park, in the first phase of the £150 million regeneration of the 40-year-old estate.

The eight-year project, by a Willmott Dixon and Catalyst Housing Group joint venture, is replacing run-down housing and tired public areas on the 33-ha estate with 763 new homes (of which 281 will be affordable), a new primary school, community centre and shops.

Dee Park’s problems included low earnings, a poor layout creating social problems, poor quality housing, and a lack of community facilities. Reading Borough Council decided on wholesale, long-term improvements, based on extensive consultation with residents.

The £44 million first phase started in summer 2010. It comprises 264 new homes in a mixture of one- and two-bedroom apartments and two- and three-bedroom houses. As for tenures, 140 will be for private sale through Willmott Dixon Homes and 124 available for affordable rent through Catalyst.

Gourmet lunch raises £4,500 for charitieswith the three aims of highlighting the quality and variety of Reading’s culinary delights, launching Reading’s two food festivals, and raising money for charity, Reading UK CIC and the Oracle hosted a presitigious gala lunch at the Hilton Hotel in June 2011.

A crowd of 150 local business people gathered to sample five taster dishes prepared by five very different Reading chefs, using local and seasonal ingredients where possible.

There was no fixed ticket price, with guests choosing to pay ‘what it was worth’, and the event raised £4,500 for Hilton in the Community Charitable Trust. Half of this is guaranteed to go to local children’s charities, including the Alexander Devine Children’s Hospice service.

The magazine that tells you about Reading

Mod memorabilia: gig posters from Reading’s swinging Sixties (above) and a one-armed bandit (below).

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Reading’s time as a hub for Mods was commemorated in the Reading Steady Go exhibition at Reading Museum. This successful show brought to life 1960s Mod culture through Reading-based memorabilia including scooters, clothing, concert posters, flyers and a fully working 60s jukebox.

Reading Steady Go: Life through the Eyes of a 1960s Mod drew attention from Mod icon clothing brand, Fred Perry, which lent original examples of its 1960s pieces.

Museum spokesperson Bobby Lonergan said: “The project is community-led and we are enormously grateful to the many organisations and individuals showing support by being so generous with their time and possessions.”

Reading Festival organiser Festival Republic, along with Liam Gallagher’s Reading based fashion label, Pretty Green, had backed the museum with a sponsorship agreement.

The concept was developed by local mod Paul ‘Smiler’ Anderson and record collector Damian Jones, known on the national Mod

scene for their book Circles, the Strange Story of the Fleur De Lys, and their Rare Mod music compilations for London-based record label, Acid Jazz.

Reading Steady Go opened in April and ran until 9 October. From 23 October the Museum’s John Madejski Art Gallery hosts a retrospective by Robert Gillmor, the internationally acclaimed wildlife artist.

Reading Steady Go

Roman empireReading property agent Jon Hallett is merging with the Romans Group. said Jon Hallett: “Romans is a major player and shares our core values and principles. This merger is the best possible way to accelerate the range of services available to our landlords and tenants.”

500 new jobsOver 2,000 jobs could be created in the area by three potential investments. Brakes has permission to develop a new food distribution centre at sutton Business Park, creating over 500 jobs. Tesco submitted plans for a 85,700sq m ambient distribution centre on the site of the former Berkshire Brewery – creating in excess of 1,000 new jobs. Ikea plans a 25,000sq m store in Calcot to the west of Reading, creating over 450 jobs, subject to consent.

Mod icon ... Fred Perry lent original examples of its 1960s pieces

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News

In March 2011, six Reading schoolgirls met Princess Anne at a ceremony to present them with certificates as the winners of the Financial Mail’s NatWest Apprentice Challenge.

The girls, from Reading’s Kendrick school, won the Breaking the Mould competition, which celebrates young women’s entrepreneurship.

Josie Thum, sherrie Talgeri, Alicia Hughes-white, Rachel Davey, Torie wyndam and seren Charles – in their team Ultra Visible – developed a range of neon-coloured make-up, which glows in the dark, and an advertising campaign to promote it.

The team of 15- and 16-year-olds won £3,000 for their school plus £100 each. sponsor Natwest has offered to help the winners and the runners-up to launch their products.

The judging panel was a tough crowd: Peter Ibbetson, chairman of small business for RBs; Nicky Kinnaird of beauty boutique space NK; Olcay Gulsen, founder of superTrash the LA-IT girl label; and Liz Locke, star of last year’s Apprentice series.

Financial Mail on sunday editor, Lisa Buckingham OBe, said: “The Kendrick team had a product of real imagination and commercial potential.”

One giant LEPThe Thames Valley Berkshire local enterprise partnership (TVB LeP), which was given government approval last year, is now taking shape.

LePs are economic development organisations led by the private sector, in partnership with government. They put businesses in direct contact with local and central government, to lobby for better deals and vie for potential funding.

The TVB LeP will co-ordinate economic development activities across part of the wider Thames Valley, and act as a portal for various views on economic issues, informing the needs of business and communities.

so far, the TVB LeP has successfully bid for new government start-up and capacity funds, and it has formulated a plan to secure superfast broadband for the region. Visit www.thamesvalleyberkshire.co.uk

Royal approval for young entrepreneurs

Big shout outYell, the first occupier of One Reading Central, has won a prestigious British Council of Offices gong. The local business search engine won the best fit-out of workplace category for the region, having fitted out more than 17,000sq m of the landmark building.

One Reading Central now features artwork, bright colours and modern interior design to create a vibrant and stylish work environment.

Yell is adamant that the design has improved business efficiency and general performance.

Near right: HRH the Princess Royal, with Josie Thum and Sherrie Talgeri of Kendrick School, winners of the Financial Mail’s NatWest Apprentice Challenge. Far right: Alicia Hughes-White, Josie, Sherrie, Rachel Davey, Torie Wyndham and Seren Charles.

Reaching for the peaksReading UK CIC hosted its second skills summit on 26 May, with speakers coming from such prestigious companies as Oracle Corporation UK and Microsoft. Almost 60 local businesses packed the Penta Hotel to hear all about the changing skills and funding landscape, and how this affects business. For details of the next summit, contact Helen Brind: helen@livingreading.co.uk

“The Kendrick team had a product of real imagination and commercial potential”

http://www.peterbrett.com

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transport

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Reading’s comprehensive rail infrastructure – 12 platforms, four through passenger lines and three dedicated freight train routes – is

impressive and would be plenty for any other town. But such is the traffic in Reading that the word ‘bottleneck’ has become synonymous with this regional hub.

Prosperous expansion means the town has simply outgrown its track, platform and station layout. Fourteen million people – London-bound commuters mixing with inbound employees of Reading’s numerous businesses – use the station each year, a number expected to double by 2030.

Part of the Great Western Main Line (GWML) upgrade, which has had its budget increased to £1.5 billion, the station’s £850 million phased transformation is Network Rail’s biggest redevelopment project outside London. The lion’s share of the investment will go on Network Rail’s new track layout and operation. West-bound passengers are often delayed in a bottleneck, as trains stop and idle east of Reading while waiting for a preceding train to clear a platform. And coming the other way, eastbound services are often denied a clear path by long freight trains, some carrying Mendip stone, crossing north-south over the GWML to reach the north of the town and the Thames.

To solve the problem, a new 1,000-tonne, 17-m wide, 40-m long bridge at Caversham Road, west of the station, will carry express services 20m over other tracks in and out of Reading. And all this will happen by 2015.

Reading’s 12 platforms, and 7 train lines,

would be plenty for any

other town

A re-opened tunnel will allow freight movements to pass under the main line and enable six extra trains per day from 2015 – taking the freight of 200 lorries off the roads. Signalling has already transferred to the state-of-the-art Thames Valley Control Centre at Didcot Parkway.

Five new platforms, scheduled to open in 2013, will further improve capacity and reduce delays. Three existing platforms will be extended to allow longer 12-car trains.

Inside the station, congestion is also a problem. On the concourse – opened by the Queen in 1989 – shoppers and cafe-goers cramp access to the ticket office; the narrow gates get crowded at peak-periods; and once through the barriers, passengers must negotiate Waterloo-bound commuters waiting on South West Trains’ bay platforms.

Radical decongestion will arrive in the form of a stylish 30-m wide passenger bridge, or transfer deck, with plentiful lifts and escalators to ease access to all platforms. A council-run subway will allow Reading folk to pass under the station to reach the north of the town and the Thames.

Reading station’s modernisation is scheduled for completion in 2015, maybe even earlier. The project dovetails neatly with another separate project – westward electrification of the GWML through Reading and beyond.

With typical Reading optimism, land has been earmarked for possible expansion of Crossrail. After all, when Parliament in 2008 decreed Maidenhead as Crossrail’s western terminus, a later extension to Reading was not precluded. The journey to the future isn’t over yet. ✣

Right on track

Reading’s railway revolution is up and running. Paul Coleman reports

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housing

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On the eve of possibly attaining city status, there has never been a better time to relocate to Reading. With two rivers coursing through it and stunning countryside surrounding it, this bustling town offers so much more than a handy London commuter base, as Charlotte Goodworth discovers

Reside on the riverside

Many people will be familiar with Reading’s enviable location, just a short hop west of London. Its accessibility, via efficient rail and road links to all corners of the UK, make it a firm favourite with those needing a convenient base

to travel elsewhere. However, Reading stands up as a vibrant destination in its own right, creating an attractive and diverse home for young couples, families, professionals and students alike.

Reading has a home to suit every budget – from trendy studios and serviced executive apartments in the heart of the town, to affordable new-build family homes on attractive edge-of-town developments, or Victorian and Edwardian terraces and villas on leafy suburban streets.

Suzanne Stallard, director of Reading arts organisation jelly, was born in Reading and has lived in the Cemetery Junction area of the town for 18 years after intending to stay for just six months. She explains why Reading has such a draw for so many people.

“There are lots of different community and ethnic groups

The magazine that tells you about Reading

»

new housing developments

Talisman House, Kings RoadStylish one- and two-bed apartments are available in this grand Georgian Grade II Listed building, located in the Eldon Road conservation area. Prices: ranging from £160,000 for one-beds and from £210,000 for two-bed apartments. Agent: Haslams

Kennet Island, Southside (main photo)Phase six of this development at the heart of Reading’s exciting new residential and commercial quarter is now available. Prices: From £147,950 for a one-bed apartment with its own balcony.Agent: Romans

Wildwood, WoodleyFive individual detached homes in a woodland setting, built by local developer Hicks Developments.Prices: Oakwood House (four-bed) £625,000; Elm Lodge (two-bed) £365,000.Agent: Haslams

Dee Park, Tilehurst£150 million investment in an existing estate to offer one- and two-bed apartments and two- and three-bed houses, built along tree-lined avenues and served by enhanced local facilities. Prices: At £134,950 for a one-bed apartment to £235,000 for a three-bed house.Agent: Romans

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in my area,” says Stallard, “with quite a few students, lots of young families and first-time buyers. We can walk into the town centre in 20 minutes, or in the other direction for 20 minutes and be in Sonning on the river. We’re also right next to the motorway and as my husband still works in London, it’s an easy commute.”

There are several standout neighbourhoods within walking distance of the centre, with the university area being amongst the most popular. Further out, the surrounding villages still retain their own distinct feel, community spirit and services. Upmarket Caversham, for instance, boasts an excellent shopping centre and Tilehurst has its own railway station, while picture-postcard Sonning has peaceful, tree-lined lanes packed with beautiful period cottages.

Serviced by three junctions of the M4, there is a large and attractive area surrounding the town, enabling commuters to expand their property search, encompassing parts of Oxfordshire and Hampshire. Sam French, marketing manager for The Oracle shopping mall in Reading, relocated in April 2011 and chose to live in the bustling market town of Wallingford in Oxfordshire.

“It’s the best of both worlds,” thinks French. “I’ve got

Reading on my doorstep but I’m living in the countryside. It takes me less than 30 minutes to get to work, only 90 minutes to visit family in Leicestershire and half an hour to London. It was a move I wasn’t expecting but it’s definitely been for the best. I love it – the shops, the sports teams, particularly London Irish, and the quality and range of restaurants. Reading is beyond my expectations.”

New housing developments are in abundance. One-bed apartments can be snapped up for little more than £100,000, while impressive detached houses are available in excess of £1 million. One of the most significant developments in the future will be Station Hill, a landmark mixed-use project adjacent to Reading Station. The scheme was granted outline consent in 2007 and is set to have a substantial effect on the town centre as a whole.

Steve Woodford, managing director of Haslams Estate Agents, has lived and worked in Reading all his life. While average property prices in March 2011 were down slightly on those for the same period in 2010, he believes the property market here is at last on a gradual upward curve.

“The housing market is fairly active at the moment on a local basis,” reveals Woodford, “but it’s price sensitive.

Kennet Island Piazza is part of a new residential quarter by St James. New homes are on the market at Dee Park in popular Tilehurst.

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Reading’s town centre development in Chatham Place has sold well, at a tough time for town centre developments elsewhere, with the potential for a second phase.

If you’ve got your price right, you will sell it, there’s absolutely no question. There is certainly more stock coming to the market but we’re not back to the heady heights of where we were four or five years ago. In some cases, you can say the prices have improved quite considerably. Looking at how far Reading has come in the last 10 years and with what is in the pipeline, you haven’t seen anything yet.”

Reading’s residential market seems to be surviving the present conditions. “The most significant housing development in the town centre in recent years was Chatham Place,” says Woodford. “We sold all 211 apartments over the last three years, the period in which media reports were telling people not to touch town centre apartments. And there is potentially a second phase of Chatham Place within the next two years.”

Reading’s property market will no doubt receive a significant boost if the town is successful in becoming a city in 2012, attracting a renewed wealth of investment, business relocations and visitors.

But improvements are already being delivered. The £850 million expansion of the town’s railway station is well under way to increase capacity and reduce delays. Just 25 minutes from Paddington, Reading currently has trains to London every 10 minutes during peak periods, and the station provides direct routes to almost every part of the UK. A new town centre traffic system has just been launched to ease congestion and London Heathrow Airport is only a 30-minute drive away – much more accessible from Reading than from most parts of the capital.

Not surprisingly, Reading is also an appealing place from which to do business. Ian Dennis, managing director of Indent Design, designed the National Theatre’s logo back in 1974, which was recently voted the tenth best logo of all time by Creative Review. Dennis opted to base his home and his graphic design agency in Reading rather than London: “As a business location, compared to other places, the economy has boomed here and Reading has been more immune to recession than most,” says Dennis. “The university has always provided good quality design graduates for us. We’ve also got a house in the middle of Reading that is completely surrounded by trees and greenery, despite being on the A4.”

Reading certainly has more than its fair share of greenery, with over 400 acres of parkland, riverside meadows and play areas. It has also become a prime shopping destination, with the opening of The Oracle in 1999, boasting 118 units including Jamie’s Italian, Hollister and Apple Store.

“The Oracle has been a major catalyst in Reading’s regeneration,” says general manager Steve Belam. “It has

firmly positioned the town as the number one regional shopping destination in the Thames Valley.”

When eating out in Reading, the choice is diverse and the quality is good. Indulge in Irish rock oysters at the London Street Brasserie, the town’s first restaurant to win Michelin recognition when it opened in 2000; opt for a relaxed gathering with friends at the trendy LSQ2 Australian Grill; or treat yourself to a luxurious dining experience at Michelin-starred L’ortolan in Shinfield.

A healthy retail offer brings with it a bustling cafe culture, attracting companies such as Bill’s Cafe, Restaurant and Store to set up there. Its founder, Bill Collison, explains the reasons behind his recent opening: “Reading is a relatively prosperous town with low unemployment and is home to many large corporations. Plus, it has a good mix of shops and offices and is a big draw for all the surrounding villages.”

Culture is Reading’s best-kept secret, with a determined and well-supported arts community that encourages all to get involved in events throughout the year. You could head to the street party in the town centre in July for the Third Thursday monthly art event organised by jelly; and in October the ‘night art experience’ around the town as part of Nuit Blanche is a must, another jelly event; or immerse yourself in an open-air Shakespeare production at Caversham Court by Progress Theatre.

Deborah James, an organiser of the Reading Contemporary Art Fair (RCAF) held in May for the second year running, reveals that the cultural offer is flourishing here: “We were very encouraged by the fact that at the first RCAF, sales were better than the previous Windsor Contemporary Art Fair, which is in its sixth year, and like-for-like sales at the second RCAF were up 50%.”

An important consideration when relocating is, of course, education – and Reading scores well. Kendrick School is a selective school for girls and considered to be one of the best state schools in the country. For boys, Reading School – another selective school – offers an International Baccalaureate as an additional sixth form programme alongside A-levels. And for those budding entrepreneurs, Reading Girls’ School is designated as a business and enterprise specialist school.

Location, education, destination: for quality of life, Reading certainly ticks all the desirability boxes. The real surprise is just how much relocators can expect for their budget. There are few regions in the south-east with such varied attributes – and great value for money too. ✣

Average property prices in ReadingMarch 2009: £181,608March 2010: £195,803March 2011: £192,187

March 2011 property breakdown: Detached: £369,322Semi-detached: £207,565Terraced: £168,186Maisonette/Flat: £152,701

Figures courtesy of Land Registry

“As a business location, compared to other places, the economy has boomed here and Reading has been more immune to recession than most”

McKay Securities PLC is a Reading-based commercial property investment

company with Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) status.

Since flotation in 1959, McKay has established a long track record of developing

and refurbishing high quality, contemporary and innovative industrial and office

properties in the South East of England. Completed schemes are retained and

managed for long term growth within the Company’s portfolio.

75% of the portfolio has either been developed or refurbished by McKay using

some of the best-known architects of their time to create properties attractive

to occupiers. The company’s Reading portfolio includes local landmarks

Great Brighams Mead by Broadway Malyan and 20 Greyfriars Road by Terry Farrell.

McKay is keen to increase the size of its portfolio in and around Reading and has

funds available to work with tenants and occupiers to deliver occupational solutions.

www.mckaysecurities.plc.uk

For further details please contact:

Simon Perkins MRICS

Managing Director

T 0118 950 2333

E scp@mckaysecurities.plc.uk

Mckay ad V3.qxp 19/9/08 10:42 Page 1

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roundtable

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Reading – with its large population, university and long history – is a city in all but name, even if its formal status is still that of a county town. But that could change soon. Reading is the bookies’ favourite to be awarded city status in 2012 to mark the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, having submitted its bid to the Cabinet Office in June 2011 – of 26 towns in the running, only one will be chosen. In this, its third attempt, Reading is one of five ‘cities to watch’, according to the latest Centre for Cities annual Cities Outlook report.

Tim Smith of Reading UK CIC chaired a discussion between advocates of city status, who consider how Reading has evolved into a city in waiting.

This city awaits

Tim SmiTh mBE Executive director Reading UK CIC

STEvE CapEl-DaviESPartnerPeter Brett Associates

On the panel

The magazine that tells you about Reading

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RajinDER SohpalDirectorReading Council for Racial Equality

lESlEy DonoghuEPrincipalReading College

CounCilloR Tony pagEDeputy leader and lead councillor for regeneration, transport & planningReading Borough Council

CounCilloR anDREw CumpSTyConservative group leaderReading Borough Council

CounCilloR jEanETTE SkEaTSConservative group deputy leaderReading Borough Council

miChaEl CoughlinChief executive Reading Borough Council

amanDa gEEManaging director Berkshire Media Group

continued overleaf »

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roundtable

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TS: Why has Reading, over successive years, been put forward to be a city?

TP: We’re playing catch-up in recognition of Reading’s huge transformation. Since the mid-’70s – when it was Sleepy Hollow – it has evolved into the capital of the Thames Valley. There has been economic development along with great improvements to the town centre and we’ve also seen increasing diversity. Working on the bid for city status this time, we’ve seen much stronger partnership buy-in than on both the previous occasions.

TS: Andrew and Jeanette, as councillors, you’ve had wider involvement. Andrew, last year as leader and in setting up the local enterprise partnership (LEP), you’ve seen how others view Reading. What do you tell visiting ministers about your city?

JS: Reading is a very vibrant town with a rich history. We’ve seen a lot of investment and now there is the major

investment [£850 million] going into the upgrade of the train station. In the past 35 years, there have been great changes – Reading is definitely not a market town.

TS: That’s one ingredient. Alongside rail, there’s also been investment in the M4 at Junction 11 and then there’s Reading Football Club narrowly missing a place in the Premiership.

JS: And the Reading Festival really puts Reading on the map, bringing 160,000 people here.

TS: An important dimension in terms of city status is personality – Reading is ambitious and inclusive.

RS: Reading becoming a city has importance in the region, and for the local community, with the bid giving a focal point for our communities to come together. Whether they are originally from Poland or India they can say: “Now we’re in Reading and it’s our city.”

TS: Busy, senior business people have supported the bid. Amanda, why do you think this happened?

AG: The city status bid involved effective partnership working. There are very few places these days where you have two paid-for newspapers – such as the Reading Chronicle and the Post, operating separately – one independently owned and one part of a large group. This was the first project where both, highly competitive, media groups in the town came together. It is an important enough issue for us to put commercial interests to one side. We had real cohesion on the city status board.

SC-D: I’ve worked here for over 40 years, have over 200 employees and take on a lot of young people. When I came here in 1975, it wasn’t a place that I wanted to stay. Reading is now a destination; it has undergone huge transformation. As a business, we’re very pleased to help shape it as a city.

TS: You mentioned young people. What benefits are there to students seeing Reading as a city?

LD: I’m a newcomer but I was in Wolverhampton when it became a city and it had an immense impact. In the current national environment it’s very hard for young people to find a pathway through education or training and into employment. This opportunity for Reading to relaunch and rebrand itself will attract new investors, creating more opportunities for young people. There’s a sense of aspiration; it’s catching and contagious.

TS: Michael, as chief executive of the council, what benefits do you see coming from city status?

MC: The impact is immeasurable, as the minister said, there are no set criteria but we all have a sense of what a city is. There is a strong sense of history – and then there’s how contemporary Reading can feel. Add to this the cultural diversity and the buzz – it feels like a city. There are very powerful benefits to city status. Other towns have some of those strengths but our USP is that we have them all.

“... there are people wanting to come and work here. City status is very important to young people in their early professional life, who will come to establish their careers, then choose to have their families here”

“In Reading, people take an interest – and then they take action”

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TS: The Centre for Cities compares us with Brighton and Preston – they are both cities. Now, it’s our turn.

AC: Our confidence will improve with the recognition that comes with being a city. We need to realise just how well known Reading is through the university and the football club, and as a place to do business. The Hungarian ambassador is bringing a trade delegation, people come here because they are looking to invest.

SC-D: From an employer’s point of view, there are people wanting to come and work here. City status is very important to young people in their early professional life, who will come to establish their careers, then choose to have their families here.

TS: We recently interviewed three young companies to talk about their experience, and what they view as Reading’s weaknesses. None had negative things to say; their view was that it’s the businesses coming here that need to have something to offer.

AG: We should focus on the legacy of the city status bid. We’ve formed new relationships with other business groups, meaning better partnership working, whether or not we succeed in achieving city status.

TS: We’ve got the legacy of 1,000 years of trading, the history of the Abbey and links with royalty, both historically and currently, with the Duchess of Cambridge.

TP: We’ve gone from industries around the three Bs [biscuits, brewing and bulbs], even as late as the 1970s, to having none of them in our economy. There has been a transformation, a managed transition. The council’s vision now is not to have all its economic eggs in one basket.

TS: Lesley, you’re effectively the first principal of Reading College and you must have a particular perspective as a newcomer.

LD: It’s been such a positive experience since I joined in January. Establishing contacts with key people can often be difficult at first – you need sharp elbows. But here, I’ve been pushing at an open door. In every environment, people are willing to talk – and they follow up a day later with a call or an email.

In Reading, people take an interest – and then they take action. They are proactive and there’s a sense of dynamism. No one is too senior to take an interest. They don’t just say fine and then send along junior people – they make time and follow through. There is a genuine commitment to raising the skills level and everyone wants to be involved. There are powerful and productive links in place and when I get back

continued overleaf »

The magazine that tells you about Reading

Ground & first floorslet to Kaplan Financial

A cut above the rest

Roddy AbramKevin Wood

Charles Dady Andrew Agnew

Darren Parkinson

www.thebladereading.com

- 12 floors ranging from 7,235 to 97,309 sq ft

- West End quality specification.

- Rail connections to London

Paddington in 27 minutes.

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The magazine that tells you about Reading

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to the college and talk to staff, we’re wondering can we keep up? But it’s very motivating – for people like me coming in, we find that Reading is aspiring, progressive and can-do.

AC: As a balding, northern, gay man, I was an outsider and I was welcomed in Reading. I’ve found that there is genuine partnership working and you don’t find that people will talk about this and then just go off and do their own thing. We take it for granted, because we’re so good at it. There’s a genuine partnership across the town and that includes businesses – like the two newspapers, or politically, with the three main parties working together on city status.

TS: Rajinder, what’s the perspective from the communities that have come to Reading – the refugees in the 40s and 50s from the eastern bloc, then later from the West Indies, Pakistan and India?

RS: Reading is very quick at adapting to massive change. People have been able to settle in Reading very quickly and it has become their home. The last city bid really focused on the economy and the buildings, but this time it has been much more about local people. It has very heavy support – people are saying: but we thought we were a city already, so what’s the difference?

TS: The bid document includes the famous people: Ricky Gervais, Kate Winslett, the Duchess of Cambridge, Jane Austen’s time at school here – and Oscar Wilde’s, obviously for different reasons!

AC: Reading has a great history of innovation – from Gillette razor blades to Viagra, which was created here at Reading University.

TS: … and Gillette runs an apprenticeship scheme. It’s important to set out our stall, to boast against other towns. The university has a unique relationship with business – from the corporates to the minnows – so that it can underpin economic performance, working with entrepreneurs and innovative SMEs.

MC: Looking back we can see the nature of global business operating in Reading in the 1800s. Reading Museum has an exhibit of a global award, given to Huntley and Palmers, so we’ve had at least 100 years experience of this – we were a global brand, even then.

AG: And Reading is a great place to shop: the major brands test us out before committing to opening in other towns and cities, while the very high-end brands come because they know that they can still make money here. We live in Windsor and my son and his friends think that Reading is the place to shop – they’re very excited that Hollister is coming [younger range in the Abercrombie and Fitch stable].

TS: The Oracle is unparalleled, a superb shopping centre in a riverside setting, we’ve got the Madejski Stadium [home to Reading FC and London Irish rugby club] and Green Park. We have Blandy’s [Blandy and Blandy, a legal firm in Reading since 1733], Jacobs jewellers, the Smelly Alley Fish Company, Jacksons [family owned department store], which was cited by the Observer when it searched for what defines middle England. So how would each of you sum up what city status will mean for Reading?

SC-D: We’re at the centre of the Thames Valley and we will retain the attraction through the LEP. The city badge is important to keep us in front of inward investors.

RS: It’s our time.

LD: Feel good!

TP: It will be part of the process of transformation, representing our ambition – city status would be an affirmation and a display of confidence.

AC: Reading is a city in waiting.

JS: Reading deserves to be crowned.

MC: Generally, the bidders have some city characteristics – but Reading has the strongest set.

AG: Our approach has been balanced. It hasn’t been arrogant or self-effacing and we didn’t claim to be a city but we took a balanced view.

TS: We certainly have vision and it’s brilliant to be part of the dynamism of Reading. ✣

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hedonism

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Eat shop drink

Reading has earned an enviable reputation among serious shopaholics seeking retail therapy and gourmets in search of gastronomic delights. So what about the clone town label? The high street multiples are here – but that’s not the limit of Reading’s offer for the dedicated hedonist in search of retail, restaurants or bars. Siobhán Crozier reports

continued overleaf »

Reading boasts the UK’s top four retailers within a short walk of each other, with Debenhams, House of Fraser, Marks & Spencer and one of the UK’s largest John Lewis stores, all located in a convenient cluster. In among the popular but ubiquitous chain stores, Reading is packed

with distinctive retail treasures to cater – or pander – to every taste, style and interest.

Hickies, Reading’s independent music store, was established in 1864, bought by Frank William Elphick in 1913 and now owned by the fourth generation. Brothers

William and James run the Friar Street shop, which has served generations of musicians, from the aspiring to the professional, from chamber music to dubstep.

William Elphick considers it important that prospective customers can wander in to the two-storey shop and try out instruments. “For beginners, it can seem a bit daunting to see so many instruments but they can take their time, even if they don’t want to buy something straight away,” he says.

Elphick acknowledges that recent trading conditions have been challenging but in a business which has survived across three centuries, the Elphicks are able to take the long view and adapt to change. “For independent businesses like ours,

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From bespoke millinery at affordable prices to high end luxury timepieces, independent retailers widen Reading’s appeal as a regional shopping destination.

success always comes down to really good customer service,” says Elphick.

Towns like Oxford trumpet their heritage buildings and ambience but Elphick thinks that Reading could promote its own attributes. “Recently I took the bus to the stadium and then walked back along the Kennet – it’s a lovely walk but if people are driving around in cars, they wouldn’t know it’s there,” he says. “Reading has several hidden places. Some of the old architecture is really good, if you walk around and look up above the shopfronts, there are some great buildings. Maybe we don’t promote that in the way that other towns do.”

It’s a view shared by Adam Jacobs of another of Reading’s long established businesses, Jacobs, whose luxurious King Street store houses a family jeweller that has traded for 63 years. Jacobs is convinced of the value of Reading’s bid to become a city in 2012.

“Reading has been hiding its light under a bushel for many years: quietly behaving as a city without the fanfare or fuss, a happy secret to all those who work or live in, and enjoy the area,” Jacobs says. “City status would endorse what many already know – Reading is vibrant, metropolitan, industrious and forward looking. City status would be a recognition of this: it would give the area an emotional boost, a feel-good factor.”

Jacobs sells upmarket ranges from Cartier, Bulgari,

Bremont, Georg Jensen and Foundation Ethical Jewellery: hardly the routine stock found in provincial jewellers. He agrees that Reading offers unexpected finds for visitors, many of whom come from towns across Berkshire, attracted by its reputation for retail riches.

“Reading constantly surprises in a positive sense – it’s the sentiment most often expressed by visitors to describe their first experience of the town,” says Jacobs. “Few places offer such an extensive array of retail and entertainment outlets all within easy reach – a bustling, clean, secure and cosmopolitan town centre but, within a mile, there are wide river-facing spaces and rolling English countryside.”

The key to success for the independents in a town well-known for the range of its high street multiples is, Jacobs agrees, expertise and good service – but within Reading’s essentially co-operative and proactive context.

“As a long-standing independent retailer we rely on and value people: our dedicated and skilled staff, not to mention our loyal and discerning customers,” he says. “Around that Reading has built an environment conducive to business: our Business Improvement District allows the core of the town to evolve, the economic development company pushes the boundaries of the wider community.”

Reading newcomer and milliner Adrienne Henry trades bespoke hats and headpieces from the Harris Arcade. She celebrated a successful summer season in 2011, having been Ph

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“Reading constantly surprises ... it’s the sentiment most often expressed by visitors ...”

open for less than a year. Henry’s strawberries and cream creation attracted attention at Ascot with coverage from the BBC and The Hat magazine. Henry designs hats for men or women; bespoke millinery can be exclusive and expensive but her approach is accessible. “I can work with the client to make a little piece from £65,” she says. “I dress silk top hats according to whether the client wants classical elegance or the Mad Hatter. I’m currently working on completely quirky Steampunk designs, while cloches are very big for winter, along with Cossack hats, very practical and pretty.”

Younger shoppers too are well served by independent retailers adept at keeping up with London trends: urban apparel packs the shelves at Hard Edge in Queen Victoria Street, established in 1991. Its huge range of streetwear and accessories for men and women majors on Carhartt in every colour, DC, Criminal Damage and footwear from Vans.

Mature shoppers in search of the traditional department store of bygone times will appreciate family-run Jacksons, a Reading icon since 1875, which epitomises the character of middle England, according to the Observer.

Far from defining Clone Town UK, Reading combines a mix of favourite high street multiples, alongside distinctive, prestigious or plain quirky shops to delight the window-shopper and surprise even the most discerning consumer.

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G ourmets are spoilt for choice amid Reading’s array of seriously good restaurants, catering to different budgets. Forbury’s is famous for European cuisine with a

French twist, served up in a smart interior and recognised with several awards.

Paul Clerehugh’s waterside London Street Brasserie (known as the LSB) is another award-winning eaterie, offering a gastronomic treat in laid-back elegance.

St Mary’s Church House in Chain Street is the perfect venue for Bill’s Restaurant Store Cafe. Breakfast, lunch or dinner, the ambience changes but the atmosphere is always buzzing and the quality is consistently high. Bill’s is also a produce store, where diners can browse the shelves or simply fill in a form at their table to collect a ‘Bag of Bill’s’ after the meal.

At the Reading Mal, the stylish Malmaison Brasserie is perfect for special occasions, sourcing its food from local suppliers is its ‘Daring to keep it local’ message. It can even be an affordable indulgence with the Double Daring Acts of Dining: two courses, wine and coffee for two, all for £30.

Reading’s Michelin-starred restaurant, L’ortolan is just south of the town and offers great deals on its promotional menus and special events, for those who want to sample these fine menus without the à la carte bill. This year Alan Murchison, judge and mentor of Great British Menu 2011, and proprietor, Peter Newman, are celebrating L’ortolan’s tenth anniversary.

For light lunches, homemade pastries and Fairtrade coffee, fresh and friendly Picnic offers alfresco ambience in Butter Market and now also in Reading Climbing Centre.

Reading restaurants include all the popular high street chains – too many to mention – and dining options reflect the town’s diverse communities in a range of international cuisines, including Indian, Thai, Italian, Chinese, Turkish, Nepalese and Ethiopian.

Gastronomy to grub

Bill’s is also a produce store ... collect a Bag of Bill’s after the meal

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25Venues like informal Picnic add to Reading’s ambience, while LSB’s food is complemented by its great location.

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Reading at night: spans young and lively to intimate and exclusive.

Spirit House runs pub-eateries, The Lyndhurst, The Moderation and The Warwick Arms, each decorated in a fresh and individual style. The Warwick serves a Far Eastern fusion menu.

Students hang out in Revolution (the vodka bar). A mix of clientele

frequents the Walkabout (Aussie themed and popular for stag and hen parties), Sakura (Japanese influenced decor, different music genre nights), Bar Mango (DJs and MCs, spanning the entire dance music spectrum), the Purple Turtle (throbbing, every night of the week), Pavlov’s Dog (dancefloor, DJs, very lively), the Dogma Bar and Kitchen (good value food, DJs and party venue), the Turks Head (music, sports events on TV) and Plug n Play (live music venue, rehearsal space and recording studio).

Mix Cocktails and Champagne is an award-winning study in kitsch opulence with a sense of humour, from the dripping crystal chandeliers to the gold Chesterfields and perspex barstools. Ice-cool, elegant and very definitely hen, stag and student-free zones are the Sahara Bar for cocktails, the sophisticated Malmaison Wine Bar, and The Forbury Hotel’s sumptuous Cerise Cocktail Bar. ✣

Dance and drinks

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hotels

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The magazine that tells you about Reading

Reading is an established hotel hotspot. Robert Cook, chief executive of Malmaison, says the town’s stylish 75-room ‘Mal’, set in the grade II listed former Great Western Hotel, achieves an occupancy rate

only narrowly bettered by the company’s London and Oxford hotels. “Reading Mal is one of our top performing midweek market hotels,” says Cook.

“What’s more, consumers are still spending,” he adds. “Our restaurant and bar are very popular spots. I’d like to get 10 more occupancy points at the weekend, but I’m not complaining.”

Penta Hotels, another new and expanding international brand, has just bought property in Vienna and opened in Beijing, and created its UK flagship hotel in Reading rather than London. “Our Reading hotel is extremely important to Penta,” says Jonathan Read, sales and marketing director of Penta Hotels. “It’s the first of, hopefully, many hotels in the UK.”

For established international hoteliers as well as chic newcomers, the town’s an enduring

money-maker. The Hilton operates a 210-bedroom giant near the town centre, while the Millennium Madejski caters for the home stadium of Reading FC and London Irish rugby club. Right across the town, Best Western, Ibis, Holiday Inn, Novotel, Premier Inn and Travelodge all vigorously compete for market share.

Reading’s hotel market expanded during the noughties, but at the height of the economic crisis in 2008-09, average daily rates were hit badly, though occupancy was still reasonable. By the end of 2010 both had recovered, and hoteliers hope for further growth when the ‘bounce back’ from recession eventually begins.

While this improvement demonstrated the town’s strength – “Reading’s peaks and troughs are far less brutal than in other cities,” says Read – it also exposed the hotel market’s weakness at weekends, at all price ranges. “Sadly, the weekends aren’t so clever,” confirms Cook. “Getting people to visit Reading for the weekend is difficult.”

Most hotels achieve 100% occupancy from Monday to Wednesday, largely due to Reading’s status as a business hub, but this falls to 80% by Thursday, and 50%, or lower, for Friday and the weekend. This fluctuating demand means Reading hotels operate high staffing levels during their weekday operation, reducing them at weekends.

The tougher weekend market means Reading hotels compete by dropping their prices, with some room rates two-thirds lower at the weekends than the midweek peak. While this offers leisure visitors good value for money, it leaves hoteliers with lower yields. And what is more, lower prices don’t always drive up demand.

Sometimes it’s the quality of the offering – not the price – that matters, for example, at the opulent Forbury Hotel, Reading’s only five-star hotel. The 23-bedroom boutique hotel

Reading’s hotel market operators have so far weathered the recession. Now they are poised, ready to grab the advantage when economic recovery gathers pace. Paul Coleman reports

Suite spot

continued overleaf »

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Main picture: Penta chose Reading to locate its flagship UK hotel. Right: One of Penta’s luxurious bedrooms.

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occupies a listed building, which originally opened in 1911 as the Shire Hall. “If we have a wedding on, we’re simply full,” says Peter Farquhar, Forbury general manager.

While Farquhar says the Forbury does tinker with the hotel’s tiered rates, they are never lowered below £120 plus VAT. “I don’t believe in devaluing our premium product by discounting our rates,” says Farquhar. “Diluting our product wouldn’t be fair to our regular clients.”

The Forbury attracts boardroom and senior management clientele during the week, but it too is suffering from lower weekend occupancy. To bolster this, rather than drop prices it offers themed comedy, pamper and theatre weekend activities. Farquhar believes quieter weekends can be averted by attractive offers linked to local theatres, department stores, spas and events such as Heritage Open Days and the Reading Festival of Crime Writing.

The annual Reading Festival in August brings huge footfall to the town and business to younger, funkier, trendier hotels such as the Penta and Malmaison. “We are full right through the festival week,” says Read. “Bands, TV crews and festival organisers stay with us because we’ve built these relationships.”

As well as the Reading Festival, a programme of other events boosts the market on specific weekends. There’s the Outside:Inside pop festival in July, covered by the BBC; Reading Arts Week; Henley Regatta;

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football and rugby at the Madejski; and racing at Ascot, Newbury and Windsor. Penta, for instance, has teamed up with Henley Regatta, helping to boost weekend business during the summer.

“Outside these events, it can be hard,” says Malmaison’s Cook, who says more initiatives are needed to entice weekend leisure visitors and tourists to Reading. One such idea, being pursued by Malmaison, is arranging tie-ins with rail company First Great Western and with Reading University.

Reading’s entire hotel market would be significantly boosted if Reading FC had been able to establish itself in the top tier of English football – and dare it be said – qualify for the Europa League or even the Champions League. Reading’s hopes were infamously dashed by

The Penta is full right through the festival week, with bands, TV crews and festival organisers

From top: The Forbury Hotel’s opulent Grand Suite, the elegant exterior, the Cerise Bar, and one of its cool, chic bathrooms.

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Swansea but their eyes are on the prize for the coming season. The potential impact is significant. Premiership status would mean 18 top clubs – including their players, coaches, officials and larger numbers of fans – all using Reading’s hotels for weekend accommodation.

“I know the value our Leeds business lost when Leeds United were relegated from the Premiership,” recalls Cook, a Newcastle United fan. “The bigger clubs have larger and probably more affluent fan bases. So I know the value of football to our Reading business.”

Farquhar, a Nottingham Forest supporter, says traffic congestion and larger football crowds might put some people off coming to Reading on match days. “But the positives of Reading being in the Premiership would far outweigh the negatives,” he says.

So, it would seem the hoteliers’ consensus is that local businesses, hotels, restaurants and entrepreneurs need to form an innovative partnership to help raise Reading’s profile as a weekend tourist and leisure destination. However, in the short-term, the market outlook is still pretty promising for its existing players.

One area proving lucrative despite the recession is the conference market. Penta has been seeking to carve itself a slice of the action by offering what Read calls a unique hotel conference proposition, tailoring its offering to the requirements of individual clients, and devising flexible meeting spaces.

It has also introduced a “bold” food and drink concept that enables conference-goers to eat and drink informally while, crucially, networking across the whole room rather than settling at one table with the same group of people. Casual, fun food such as seafood, hot beef and charcuterie boards is offered from different stations. “This approach has differentiated us and helped our wider business,” says Read.

More companies are choosing the Reading Penta as their training venue, especially for high-level managerial courses. “It seems companies are using this market downtime to train and prepare their people for the economic recovery,” observes Read.

So what for the future? At the moment, midweek demand is supporting all of Reading’s hotels, but until the economic cycle shifts outside investors are unlikely to risk supporting a rise in Reading hotel numbers.

“Potential might exist for another budget hotel if Reading builds more retail or industrial parks,” says Farquhar. Read says Reading’s 100% midweek occupancy rate bodes extremely well for when the upturn in the economy happens. “There could well be an opportunity for other hoteliers,” says Read.

Influential developments that could increase demand for Reading hotels over the next five to 10 years will include the major redevelopment of Reading’s Station Hill, and the improved Great Western Main Line access to Reading from London and from the West. If eventually extended to Reading, Crossrail could cut journey times between Reading and Heathrow, London’s West End, the City and Canary Wharf.

Meanwhile, smart hoteliers like Malmaison see the Reading market as a blessing. “Reading has been very good for us,” affirms Cook. “It has probably been our most stable market because of its solid infrastructure and sustainable businesses.” ✣

Above: Plush, stylish interiors – Hilton Reading Hotel.

Reading’s 100% midweek occupancy rate bodes extremely well for when the upturn in the economy happens

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culture

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Arts organisations typically struggle for funding during recession but Reading Museum has been fortunate in having a generous benefactor, with Sir John Madejski’s name attached to its art gallery. Colin Marrs interviews the multimillionaire patron of the arts

National treasure

continued overleaf »

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Reading Museum’s Sir John Madejski Gallery has hosted a successful Stanley Spencer exhibition, while Reading, Steady, Go celebrates Mod culture of the ‘60s.

As public spending cuts began to bite in 2009, Kevin Spacey made a bold attempt to change the terms of debate over arts funding. The Hollywood star, now artistic director at London’s Old Vic theatre, claimed that promoters of cultural activities

too often failed to point to the economic benefits the sector can bring. “The question is not: ‘What can the economy do for our arts?’ but ‘What can the arts do for our economy?’”

Sir John Madejski, chairman of Reading Football Club, is a man equally at home in the worlds of business and the arts. In 2011 he faced the disappointment of watching his team lose the biggest match (financially speaking) in UK football – the Championship play-off final. Reading missed out on a £40 million windfall, losing 4-2 to Swansea in a thrilling but heartbreaking bout. Madejski is sanguine about the result, but it is just as well that he has other interests.

To many, the beautiful game is a form of art. But unlike most other forms, the nation’s elite game, watched by millions each week, has no problem in attracting funding or followers. Madejski is committed to bringing both to areas fitting the more traditional definition of “art”. The man who made his fortune from creating the Auto Trader magazine group has a well-established reputation as a philanthropist and patron of the creative industries.

The entrepreneur, who turned 70 in April, is well known for his £3 million donation to the Royal Academy of Arts in London’s Piccadilly. This led to the restoration of a suite of rooms at the Burlington Gallery in 2004. Madejski also gave £2 million for a new garden at the Victoria and Albert Museum. Closer to home, he also funded a lecture theatre at the University of Reading, a new academy school in the town, and a gallery at the Museum of Reading, all of which have taken his name. Built in 1893 and refurbished in 1999, the space is now known as the Sir John Madejski Gallery. As well as exhibitions the venue is also hired out for evening receptions and product launches.

“My involvement in the arts gives me great satisfaction,” Madejski says, firm in his conviction that as many people as possible get a chance to see the art that he clearly loves. “Did you know that most artworks are kept in warehouses and storerooms?” he asks. “For me, my involvement has given me a chance to help people to go and see some lovely works of art and indulge themselves. I was very pleased to be involved in that. It has been very successful.”

Madejski has dabbled with his own private collection, but the concept has not always made him comfortable. He bought the Degas sculpture, Petite Danseuse de Quatorze Ans, for £5 million at the height of the art boom in 2004, but quickly lent it to the Royal Academy and then sold it five years later. Madejski says: “I tried putting it in the front room but it looked a bit out of place there – and anywhere else around the house. I found it strange owning something like that so I just made sure that everyone else could see it.”

Despite his multimillionaire status, Madejski says he is unlikely to splash out in such style any time soon. “Values have gone off the Richter Scale!” he exclaims. Professing to love most art, he does admit: “I can’t get my head round some of the modern stuff.” When pressed as to what artist’s work he would most like to own, he eventually narrows the

options down to any work by 19th century sculptor and painter Amedeo Clemente Modigliani.

Although Madejski enjoys mixing with the elite of the art world, he does not neglect the grassroots scene in Reading. He regularly attends local events, and last year officially opened the very first Reading Art Fair. He says: “I get a lot of invitations to open exhibitions and accept them when I get the chance. There are some very talented artists in the area.”

And he remains a passionate champion for the town’s cultural life: “There is a severe disadvantage for Reading in being so close to London. It is very difficult to compete, but I believe that the town does have a cultural voice that is becoming more evident. It exists and is thriving.” The owner of a grand home in the Berkshire countryside, he adds: “The Thames Valley is such a beautiful place to sit with an easel.”

Although his business interests dominate his time, he stays actively involved with the gallery he funded at Reading museum and which bears his name. He says: “We have had some fantastic exhibitions – a successful Stanley Spencer one and a 1960s show which was very interesting.” He has even lent paintings from his own collection to the gallery but prefers to play a hands-off role in the running of the museum. “I wouldn’t dream of getting involved with the choices of the staff,” he says.

Madejski is also a property developer, serving as chairman of Sackville Properties, the firm which until recently owned Reading’s Station Hill regeneration site. The hard-nosed world of office development may seem a long way from the refined air of the art gallery, but Madejski believes the two can be combined. He says: “Again, why have artworks hanging around in museum store rooms when they could be hired out to businesses to hang in their foyers and give more people a chance to see them?”

The wider property community in Reading has been quick to capitalise on the economic benefits that Madejski says arts organisations can bring. Over the past 10 years, arts organisation jelly has run various “pop-up” projects out of empty business premises. Suzanne Stallard, director of jelly says: “We are often in these buildings on a temporary basis. We get the space for nothing, and rather than looking derelict, the buildings look vibrant, which can attract new occupiers, benefiting the landlord.”

Recent research from the National Endowment for Science Technology and the Arts estimated that the cultural sector in the UK will grow by four per cent up to 2013, at least double the rate of the rest of the economy. In Reading, Madejski and others are seizing this opportunity, answering Spacey’s question: “What can the arts do for our economy?” with an emphatic “Lots”. ✣

“... my involvement has given me a chance to help people to go and see some lovely works of art ...”

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R:UK

There are lots of good reasons to work with one of the top 200 universities in the world. We’ve highlighted just a few of them …

The University contributes around £600 million to the local economy every year.

Two thirds of our students choose to stay within a 50 mile radius of Reading after they graduate.

We reach out to wide sections of the community through workshops for schools, access to student tutors and weekly Campus tours that are open to everyone.

We’ve invested £400 million across our campuses in the last 10 years.

Our historic merger with Henley Management College created one of the largest full-service Business Schools in Europe – Henley Business School.

We’ve won the Queen’s Anniversary Prize for Higher Education three times:• in 1998 for the Globe Theatre Project• in 2006 for Meteorology• in 2009 for Archaeology.

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The magazine that tells you about Reading

skills

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“ You’re hired!”

continued overleaf »

Apprenticeships have changed immensely from the times when they were mainly a route into crafts such as joinery or plumbing. Training providers are waking up to the skills gaps in specialist, technological industries as much as the hospitality sector, with the new Reading College matching the demands of the local economy. Alex Louis reports

Mention ‘apprentice’ and most people will immediately think of the popular television programme, where eager hopefuls compete – often ruthlessly – for the opportunity to be apprenticed to entrepreneur Alan Sugar, Baron

Sugar of Clapton.In reality, rather than the world of reality television,

apprenticeships are one option open to employers needing to fill skills gaps in their workforce. Despite growing popularity, misconceptions persist about how they work.

The local economy and, specifically, the businesses within it, require well-qualified, enthusiastic employees

with the right attitude, skills and knowledge to compete and boost productivity. This is as true of the knowledge-based, high value-added economy as it is of a serviced-based one. The skills and abilities of the workforce are vital to sustaining Reading’s acknowledged economic strength. Predicted growth above national averages dictates that skills and training are key elements of economic development company Reading UK CIC’s strategy.

Last year Reading UK CIC launched its Skills for Business campaign to co-ordinate the activities of local skills and training providers to match local employment need. The campaign aims to increase skills levels among people in the area, while encouraging more employers to get involved with training and skills – at all levels.

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skills

In September 2010 it recruited its Skills for Business co-ordinator. The post is very much business facing and aims to make it much easier for businesses to understand and access local training provision. Economic development manager Richard Byard explains: “We asked 500 businesses why they weren’t engaging as much as they might with the local skills and training offer. They responded by saying they were confused about what was on offer, how they could access good quality provision and were generally frustrated by the ‘skills system’ with different providers contacting them with the same offer.

“Things had to change and through Skills for Business we aim to demystify the skills world and offer employers impartial advice and guidance on skills need,” Byard continues. “Then we broker the solution through the provider network – it’s about making it easier for employers to understand and access.”

The campaign aims to promote apprenticeships as a route to training and employment – and break down some of the misconceptions surrounding apprentices.

Neil Edwards, business enterprise manager for Reading College, notes that many employers are concerned that organising the training will be bureaucratic and time consuming: “In fact, much of it is organised by the training provider,” he says. “Regular reviews on how well the apprentice is progressing should be a part of the employer’s existing personal development actions, not an additional burden,” explains Edwards. “Colleges and universities have a crucial role in helping employers develop training programmes with a range of vocational needs and they are keen to develop new opportunities that reflect changing requirements.”

One in five employers nationally are hiring apprentices – and locally Reading UK CIC led on Reading’s 100 in 100 campaign, aimed at securing 100 new apprenticeship starts in 100 days.

Byard says: “We were very keen to encourage more employers to consider apprenticeships – and actually quite daunted by setting the 100 placements target. However

– as always – Reading businesses responded brilliantly: 168 apprentice places were pledged – absolutely superb! Each placement is a route into work and a meaningful career, mainly for young people, and in some cases can be a life changing experience”.

“Apprenticeship training is probably the best training for employment available,” says Lesley Donoghue, Reading College’s principal. “The range of opportunities for apprenticeships at Reading College cover 12 different vocational areas from engineering to hospitality, construction to health and social care. New apprenticeship frameworks are becoming available, such as one for accounting. The decision to take on an apprentice is significant, particularly for smaller employers, but support provided by the college can benefit employers in many ways.”

For prospective apprentices, the appeal is obvious: they have the opportunity to train and develop the skills they need to follow their chosen career, while earning money in employment. And for employers, this means a ready supply of talent, with the requisite skills for their sector or business.

One of Reading’s largest employers is Microsoft, and while having one of the most recognised brands in the world gives Microsoft a definite advantage when it comes to recruitment, it still faces challenges. Microsoft delivers its services through a network of smaller companies, making it good business sense to support the training needs of its resellers and encourage schemes like apprenticeships.

Stephen Uden is head of skills and economic affairs at Microsoft and leads the company’s training and employment programme, Britain Works. “Many roles are highly specialised and it can be very difficult to find suitably qualified candidates,” says Uden. “As a major local employer we are working with a cohort of 22 apprentices across Reading and a further 500 people around the country, based within the various companies we work with. We all gain in this situation: Microsoft gains as a facilitator, the businesses we work with get well trained staff. The nice thing is that most apprenticeships come with government funding, and 80% of the jobs are newly created.’’

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Sarah Charles’ Theale salon, The Style Guru, was winner of the south-east small business category in the National Apprenticeship Awards 2011.

“Without our apprentices we would collectively be losing 60 hours per week”

The magazine that tells you about Reading

Sarah Charles runs The Style Guru, a hairdressing salon in Theale. Her commitment to having skilled staff is at the forefront of growth in the salon’s reputation and a significant factor in the very low turnover of staff in an industry where high turnover is a constant issue for owners.

“Our apprentices take part in a four-year programme, with two years at Reading College and a further two years in-salon training,” she says.

Graduate stylist Lauren hardly went to school in years 10 and 11. Going through bereavement and feeling de-motivated, she left with low GCSEs. “But we saw a positive person with bundles of energy, so we enrolled her in our training programme,” says Charles. “Lauren is dedicated to becoming a stylist and without our training, this would have taken her a lot longer to achieve. She has built a loyal clientele in just 12 months.”

“I’ve worked here for five years, two of which were on an apprenticeship scheme,” adds Lauren. “I’m lucky, as some of my friends in hairdressing haven’t received any training at all. It was brilliant to go to Vidal Sassoon for two weeks when I was coming to the end of my college training.”

Charles is in no doubt about the benefits of apprenticeships to any business. “I think that employers need to balance training as equally important as making a profit. One helps the other. I have been committed to my staff’s training needs from day one. I see it as the only way to grow my business.” ✣

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Rebalancing the economyWhile national government policy aims to rebalance UK PLC, Reading is seeing its own rebalancing. Globally renowned for its knowledge economy, over 2000 new jobs are being created in Reading’s warehousing, distribution and logistics sectors.

Ikea plans to open a new concept store, while Tesco and Brakes aim to set up distribution centres, delivering over 2000 jobs in total. This boosts the local economy, creating jobs and supply chain opportunities but also puts pressure on the skills supply side.

Reading UK CIC’s Richard Byard says: “Through our Skills for Business initiative, we’re working with these investors to develop sector-specific training programmes so that local people will have relevant skills and abilities.” Opportunities are promoted through job fairs and workshops, where people can find out about skills needed, salary levels and career progression. And logistics isn’t the only growth sector in Reading. The past year has seen new green businesses emerge, mainly in the photovoltaic sector. Driven by the government’s attractive feed-in tariff rates, many new businesses have set up locally. Growth in the new sectors bring skills challenges, as Byard explains: “These businesses require a new skills set and our training providers need to adapt.”

It would be remiss, in talking about skills in Reading, to omit the university, which has an international reputation for teaching, research and enterprise. With 14,500 students and outstanding links to local and global businesses, the university stimulates innovation, estimated to contribute £600 million annually to the local economy. It is investing £250 million into its main campus over the next 10 years, while its merger with Henley Management College has created one of the largest full-service business schools in Europe. Reading graduates tend to settle in the area, attracted by its quality of life and employment opportunities, keeping highly skilled individuals in the local economy and enhancing Reading’s appeal to investors.

Apprenticeships are available in sectors beyond the traditional craft trades, providing benefits for trainees and their employers.

Greater Reading Employer Skills ResearchFor Reading UK CIC by Step Ahead Research

Most difficult types of eMployee to recruit:Professionals/highly qualified specialists 31% Sales and customer service staff 20%Technical/support staff 17%Skilled trades/craft occupations 11%

(% of employers with recruitment difficulties)

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As the largest town in the south-east, Reading is already acknowledged as a city in all but name, with 213,000 residents in greater Reading and more than 800,000 people within an hour’s drive. Success in its highly-tipped bid for city status would confirm

Reading’s importance as Thames Valley regional capital. And it would attract further inward investment by enhancing its status as a magnet for global businesses. As Tim Smith, executive director of economic development company Reading UK CIC, says: “Becoming a city should be seen as a coming of age. The new status should further raise Reading’s profile around the globe, enhancing its existing reputation.”

Such is this reputation that some of the world’s most famous companies – including Microsoft, Oracle, Cisco, ING, Verizon and Symantec – have already chosen to set up home in Reading. This proven attractiveness to businesses puts Reading at a great advantage in the UK’s economic recovery, widely expected to be led by the private sector.

In its 2011 Outlook, the think tank Centre for Cities identifies Reading as one of the top five cities to watch in the recovery because it is “better insulated from the economic spending squeeze, has high potential to create private sector jobs and lower vulnerability to public sector job losses.”

A recent study by the Work Foundation reinforces Reading’s strengths and prospects in the jobs market. Together with neighbouring Bracknell and Wokingham, Reading tops the list of UK towns and cities expected to see considerable employment growth in the recovery. This is thanks to its strong knowledge economy, full of people who are both technically qualified and innovative. In the Reading functional economic area (FEA), 36% of adults have degrees, 32% of its employment is in sectors where

growth is predicted, and there is lower than average (20%) employment in the public sector.

FEAs have potential to act as catalysts to stimulate the wider regional economy. The Reading FEA runs to the west of Theale, through Reading and along the A329(M) corridor to encompass Bracknell town, extending three to five miles to the north and south of Reading’s urban boundary.

Official statistics show that a fifth of Reading’s workforce – 20.6% – is employed in professional occupations, much higher than the national average of 13.9%. Similarly, 34.3% of employees are concentrated in finance, IT and business activities, compared to 22% nationally. A larger proportion of workers has NVQ4+ qualifications (33.9% against 29.9%). Unsurprisingly, these higher level skills result in better earnings, with gross pay in Reading reaching £582 weekly by the end of 2010, well up on the national average of £500. Just 3.5% of local people were registered as looking for work in April 2011 and the total claimant count in Reading (11.5%) was well below the national figure of 14.5%.

As well as its workforce, Reading offers an excellent location and ever-improving infrastructure. Together with proximity to London, the town offers a fast motorway link to Heathrow, the world’s busiest international airport, with the recent expansion of Junction 11 on the M4 set to improve it further. The transport hub in the heart of the town centre incorporates the main railway station, being extended in a £850 million project, and with direct services to over 300 UK destinations. Reading’s urban bus services are also among the most innovative and comprehensive anywhere in the country.

Accessibility contributes to success in attracting foreign direct investment – almost 20% of such investment in the south-east during 2009-’10, according to Reading UK CIC.

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Reading’s strong business tradition, built on beer, bulbs and biscuits, has been key to its success. Now with the potential for city status in 2012,

this regional capital is expanding its economy from local to global. David Gray finds Reading leading the way for the UK’s recovery

continued overleaf »

Something in the city

relocation

More than a sporting venue: the Madejski Stadium complex incorporates hotel and business facilities, including the Royal Berkshire Conference Centre.

R:UK

“A building like this lifts morale, is good for Reading and puts the town on the map”

L ittle wonder, then, that the Financial Times fDi magazine judged Reading to be the best “micro city” (under 250,000 population) for infrastructure in 2010.

Living up to the Centre for Cities analysis as one of the “buoyant cities” with a dynamic private sector economy, Reading’s office market has seen a flurry of activity in the past year, bucking the trend of most other UK cities. Office take-up along the Thames Valley corridor rose by over 40% during the first quarter of 2011, with the focus on higher quality stock, and steady rent levels. Stephen Head, in charge of office space at Hicks Baker, says: “Unlike many Thames Valley towns, headline rents for grade A space in Reading have held up remarkably well in both out-of-town and town centre locations, with the best space achieving £26 to £28 per square foot.”

Hicks Baker estimates that office take-up in Reading in 2010 was almost 23,000sq m, massively up on the 12,000sq m in 2009. Lambert Smith Hampton (LSH) has a similarly encouraging view, which reports Reading’s office market as staying resilient while so many other centres have continued to suffer.

Nick Coote, head of commercial property at LSH, says: “Reading scores highly, with strong transport links, quality development close to retail and leisure facilities, a highly skilled workplace and environmental credentials. The town has become a regional capital, able to withstand the global economic crisis with its

enviable gateway location, diverse economy and dynamic property market.”

One development central to Reading’s success is Green Park, one of Europe’s largest landscaped out-of-town office schemes, developed by Prupim. Such are the quality and flexibility of its buildings and amenities that Green Park accounted for 42% of all 5,000sq ft (465sq m) commercial deals in Reading during 2010. Most of its tenants are also taking long leases, a sign of their commitment to the area.

The largest newcomer to Green Park is pharmaceutical giant Quintiles. The company was previously based in Bracknell but consolidated its European headquarters in an 11,000sq m development that has won several design awards and was shortlisted by the British Council for Offices in its commercial workplace of the year category. Dr Dennis Gillings, Quintiles’ chief executive, says: “Brook Drive enables us to raise our game. This move to a technologically advanced single site is a big step forward for our team and our customers.”

Quintiles is joining some pretty big hitters: other major recent occupiers at Green Park include Thames Water, Cisco Systems, Regus, Logica, Symantec, HSBC and Synopsis.

Back in the town centre, Yell Group, the international directories company, has been a mainstay since the 1970s. Six years ago, when it had outgrown its existing premises, the company

had to decide on a new location. Simon Taylor, Yell’s global head of property says now: “We didn’t look that far out of

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Investment in the improvements to Reading’s infrastructure helps to attract investors.

relocation

The magazine that tells you about Reading

Reading – it’s our home and we wanted to stay. In a survey asking our people what they would like to do, the resounding answer was to stay in the town centre.”

Yell and its 1,500 employees are now happily installed in One Reading Central, the much-praised 20,100sq m building completed in February 2010. “If this building hadn’t been developed,” says Taylor. “I don’t know where Yell would have gone.” He adds that getting on board early in the construction of One Reading Central meant that Yell was able to exercise its influence on its detailed development.

As well as being visually impressive, the new building boasts among the best environmental credentials in the country. Controlled lighting reduces electricity consumption, almost all waste is recycled and computer systems are outsourced to reduce emissions and create more space. “Since moving in last autumn,” says Taylor, “we have had nothing but positive feedback. A building like this lifts morale, is good for Reading and puts the town on the map.”

Reading’s economy will now receive a further boost from the creation of a massive new distribution centre for Tesco. The retailer successfully applied to redevelop the old Scottish & Newcastle brewery in South Reading – next to the M4 – into an 85,700sq m regional warehouse.

Such a facility could create up to 1,000 jobs. What’s more, as Tim Smith of Reading UK CIC says, a centre like this would be good news for the town, by broadening the local economy – vital in maintaining Reading’s success. Smith says: “We have long been a very powerful, potent economy based on the knowledge sector, but for future resilience we need to see that underpinned by service industry. Distribution and warehousing is something that can satisfy that need and, more importantly, provide more jobs for Reading’s local people.” ✣

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Huntley and Palmers biscuit factory, once a major employer, has been replaced by multinationals, choosing well-connected Reading as the ideal location for corporate HQs.

did youknow?

R:UK

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The Duchess of Cambridge, formerly Kate Middleton, was born in Reading

Elbow, Muse, The National, Pulp, The Strokes, Seasick Steve, My Chemical Romance …An economic impact

assessment commissioned by Festival Republic showed that Reading Festival 2009 generated expenditure of £16 million in the Reading area Baker Associates and the University of Reading

Ayrton Senna, Brazilian Formula One racing driver, had a house in Tilehurst before his untimely death in 1994 – Ayrton Senna Road commemorates him

Elbow’s Guy Garvey

Reading to Paddington Station in central London is 26 minutes

Big screen: National Trust’s largest, most complex film shoot filmed at

Reading stately home, Basildon Park.Pride and Prejudice starred Keira

Knightley and Matthew Macfadyen

Reading is one of five cities to watch: “will be better-insulated from the economic impact of the spending squeeze, ... high potential to create private sector jobs ... lower vulnerability to public sector job losses and spending cuts, ... could make an even bigger contribution to national economic recovery … the UK economy is likely to grow, driven by cities such as Reading”Cities Outlook 2011, Centre for Cities

London Heathrow, Reading’s local airport

is a 30-minute drive

Reading is the Best European Micro City for Infrastructure”

And 8th Best European Micro City (Micro Cities having a population less than 250,000) Financial Times fDi Magazine

We’re helping to shape Reading’s futureAs the UK’s largest independent planning and design consultancy, Barton

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We now look forward to working with you in shaping the town over the next 75 years!

For more information on how we can help you navigate the world of Planning and

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