Wokingham in 2012
- A fresh town centre with real attractions. The Elms field area previously dominated by Wellington House will become a convenient and exciting hub containing the right mix of commerce, residencies and businesses. This will include at least the existing amount of green public space with shops, piazzas and coffee houses, uniting the entire town as a more vibrant place to live and shop.
- A unique market town with character. Wokingham must define itself from surrounding towns by offering a one-of-a-kind shopping experience with niche outlets, boutiques and other independent specialist vendors. This has proven the most popular and shared vision through surveys conducted.
- An inviting location to meet and relax. Character piazzas and courtyards should be created to allow visitors a charming environment to get together. This has already proved extremely popular outside the Town Hall and Erfstadt Court.
- A town where commercial viability comes first. Wokingham must become a town focussed upon encouraging economy, not residency. The town’s focus remains firmly on encouraging industry and culture, guarding against tendencies to develop a dormitory town at the expense of commercial vitality.
- A town which is accessible by public transport. To encourage shoppers to the town, accessible routes should be developed to the shopping area. Wokingham must create convenient pedestrian walkways from the railway station to the town centre.
- A safe and secure location. Through the reduction of alleyways which encourage crime and create a perceived threat to safety, Wokingham must become a location shoppers feel confident within. The town will be well-lit at night to encourage shoppers to feel secure in Wokingham.
- A location where congestion does not dominate. Wokingham must address traffic overcrowding, taking a holistic view of the transport infrastructure. The redevelopment of the town provides an opportunity to have a complete rethink of the existing, congested system.
