REDA Board set the agenda

10th February 2023

With 2022 well and truly behind us, last week's Reading Board Away Day was a productive planning session for the year ahead for REDA.

With invited guest businesses providing valuable input, tackling the issues facing the town centre in preparation for a new 5-year term for the two Business Improvement Districts from 2024 was very much the hot topic of the day. And the message came across loud and clear: tackle antisocial behaviour; improve the public realm; make the town centre more welcoming and vibrant; attract the office workers back into the town. The work starts now! In addition, we need to tackle the factors slowing down economic growth, labour supply and skills matching for local people especially in new and growth areas of business. 

Coming off the back of what retailers and the hospitality sector reported was a better-than-expected Christmas period, there are still a number of fundamentals that need addressing, that REDA, through its BID programme, cannot do alone. We have put in place a detailed and coordinated plan of action for the town centre for the coming year:

• Tackling anti-social behaviour: prompt removal of graffiti and detritus left by rough sleepers; broken furniture; waste piles
• Improving the physical appearance of the town centre: a programme of repairs and new street furniture; empty shops window displays solutions; better management of ‘A’ boards
• More enforcement against amplified music; illegal use of empty shops; illegal charity collections and peddlers; poor management of scaffolding
• Increasing levels of Health and Safety: vehicle and bike safety cycling; reduce street drinking and drugs; safer streets actions; prioritising safety of young females
• Combatting crime: reducing shoplifting  through the DISC system; reducing bike theft
• Joined up partnership management and communication of successes and outcomes

The process of presenting a new business plan for agreement by town centre businesses in February 2024 will take place this year through a range of consultations and work by the two BID Committees chaired by Andy Briggs, General Manager of the Oracle and Andrew Whiteaker from Boyes Turner. We are looking for ideas to go into the new plan to make the high street more vibrant - things to encourage staff back to their offices, to address the net zero carbon agenda and business social impact priorities. Of course, we will ensure the basics around safety, attractiveness and promoting the town centre are covered, but how can we do it better?

We believe the role of the town centre as a gateway is equally important to businesses outside the town centre, so we are keen to hear your views on what to improve for your staff, customers, and visitors.

In addition, REDA will be 

• Launching research undertaken into new jobs and skills opportunities and needs in the areas of low carbon and green skills, which affects every business, as well as film screen industry skills and supply chain network needs emanating out of Shinfield Studios and the film production (incl the pre and postproduction ) industry leaders it will attract
• Using the recently launched new Reading place brand to launch campaigns to attract new business to Reading, filling empty office space and creating new jobs by working closely with the property sector through UK Property Forum who will be hosting a number of events in Reading this year.   
• Attracting leisure and business visitors with campaigns targeting meetings out of London  and this year’s leisure visitor highlight a five-day Reading Walking Festival in May. 
• There will be more events; at Easter, Reading Food Festival (formerly Eat Reading) in May and the annual Reading Climate Festival with a national touring event and big-name speakers planned in June, a major Christmas campaign, as well as events that reflect Reading's diversity including Diwali in November and the Chinese New Year.
• REDA also remains committed to working with local partners to find a way of unlocking Reading Gaol for the benefit of the town. The REDA Board has joined with existing promotors Theatre and Arts Reading, RABBLE Theatre Company and Reading Civic Society to find out who the current Ministry of Justice (MOJ )‘preferred bidder’ is and we are pursuing a dialogue with the MOJ about a new way forward if previous ones are exhausted.  We are keeping all the local stakeholders and communities of interest informed and hope to see a positive move forward for Reading this year 

Adam Jacobs, REDA’s Chair, the REDA Board (with a number of new faces) and I look forward to receiving your comments and updating you on progress throughout the year. 

NIgel Horton-Baker, Executive Director, REDA