Dee Park Masterplan Exhibition

The latest plans for the regeneration of Dee Park are to go on display during a public exhibition this week.

Dee Park Partnership - the consortium behind the multi-million pound regeneration project - has organised a two-day public exhibition at Ranikhet Primary School, Tilehurst.

The latest masterplan designs for the regeneration of the Tilehurst estate will be on display from 4pm-7.30pm on Friday, July 17th and from 11am-3pm on Saturday, July 18th.

The designs have been revised where possible to take account of feedback given during a series of public consultations last year when residents were invited to give their feedback on what they thought of the masterplan for their estate.

As well as displaying the overall masterplan, the exhibition will also provide more details on phase one of the Dee Park regeneration scheme, which includes 64 affordable rent homes, 60 sheltered housing flats in a purpose-built unit designed to 'Extra Care' standards and 140 new homes for private sale.

Charlie Stevens, Project Director - Dee Park Partnership, said: "Now the project is moving forward we are happy to present the masterplan which has evolved following comments received from numerous consultations. Hopefully holding the exhibition on Friday evening and during Saturday will enable everyone interested in the regeneration of Dee Park to come along and discuss the proposals with the Dee Park Partnership team."

Jo Lovelock, Leader of Reading Borough Council and Chair of the Dee Park Project board, said: "Local people have been incredibly patient over the past year. The plans had to be delayed while the impact of the economic situation on the project was assessed. I am delighted that we do still have a viable scheme and that residents will come along to see how the comments they made last year have brought changes to the masterplan. We will then enter a phase of further consultation once the planning application is submitted."

Norma Sinclair, Chair of CRAG (Community Regeneration Action Group), said: "We are very pleased that at last the final masterplan is being displayed to the residents of Dee Park. We hope that the community will see that where possible their views, thoughts and in some cases worries have been addressed.

"As we now enter this very important time with DPP presenting the masterplan to the planning committee of RBC, the CRAG committee hope that all residents join us in looking forward to the start of the work that will build a new beginning for Dee Park, with new homes, school, shops, a new community hub and a new future for the generations that will follow us."

Dee Park Partnership intends to submit the exhibited plans as part of a planning application to Reading Borough Council later this summer.

Following the planning application, residents and other interested parties will have an opportunity to comment on the submitted plans during the planning consultation period. The council's Planning Applications Committee will then ultimately decide whether to grant planning consent to the proposals.

Go to www.reading.gov.uk/housing/deeparkregenerationscheme for more details or call Frazer Drury, Dee Park Regeneration Project Manager on (0118) 939 0367.

The Regeneration Office in Lyon Square is open to residents on Friday mornings from 9.30am-11.30am.

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