Dee Park Regeneration project

The Dee Park Regeneration Project aims to rebuild the 1,100 homes from the 1960s-built estate, that has been worked on in close consultation with the community. The estate is one of the 20 per cent most deprived areas in the country. The vision for the regeneration project is to create “a safe, inclusive and sustainable community, economically, environmentally and socially, as part of the wider Reading, where people want to live and work, and which will inspire a sense of pride”. The third and final phase of the project is ongoing and is expected to be completed soon.

The vision is to create e.g. a safe/inclusive, socially, economically and environmentally sustainable community in Reading. Some of the objectives are: create a sustainable neighbourhood (to achieve social, economic and environmental objectives); improve the socio-economic balance; improve the recreational value and quality of open spaces and public realms; improve local environmental quality and ensure that regeneration proposals minimise any adverse impacts on biodiversity, create new habitats and protect and enhance existing habitats. Regarding flooding: incorporate sustainable urban drainage facilities and techniques (as part of the layout of development as appropriate and as advised by the Environment Agency), this means to e.g. minimise the size of impermeable areas so that peak run-off and annual water run-off is reduced where possible and in any case is no greater than the original conditions of the site.

More than €4,000,000
Direct funding (grants, subsidies, or self-financed projects by private entities)

Environmental impacts

• Water management and blue areas
• Improved water quality
• Increased protection against flooding
• Improved stormwater management
• Green space and habitat
• Promotion of naturalistic styles of landscape design for urban development
• Increased green space area
• Increased conservation or restoration of ecosystems

Economic impacts

• Increase of green jobs (e.g. paid employment positions)
• Increased property prices
• Attraction of business and investment
• Other

Socio-cultural impacts

• Social justice and cohesion
• Improved liveability
• Increased involvement of locals in the management of green spaces
• Health and wellbeing
• Improved physical health
• Gain in activities for recreation and exercise
• Cultural heritage and sense of place
• Increased appreciation for natural spaces
• Education
• Increased support for education and scientific research

The whole estate will be redeveloped to a green area along with new housing, school, community centre and shops. Improvements will also be made to all the existing roads and closes, including new pavements and lighting. It will create public realms that are e.g. ‘clean, attractive and safe’. In addition, pedestrian routes and open spaces linking homes with the local facilities, good public transport access to the town centre and other local destination, a variety of dwellings and tenures that will improve the mix of housing on the estate and meet community needs, construction of distinctive buildings that will reinforce local identity and ensuring that new buildings are energy-efficient and flexible.

Reading Borough Council

The Dee Park Regeneration Project aims to rebuild the 1,100 homes from the 1960s-built estate, that has been worked on in close consultation with the community. The estate is one of the 20 per cent most deprived areas in the country. The vision for the regeneration project is to create “a safe, inclusive and sustainable community, economically, environmentally and socially, as part of the wider Reading, where people want to live and work, and which will inspire a sense of pride”. The third and final phase of the project is ongoing and is expected to be completed soon.

• Reading Borough Council (2008) Dee Park Planning Brief. Planning Section, Planning & Building Control, Director of Environment, Culture & Sport, Reading Borough Council. URL: Source link. Not available as of 14th October, 2020. 
• Get Reading (2011) First tenants move into Dee Park homes. Local news. Available at: Source link. Accessed on 14th September, 2020. 
• ITV (2015) Latest stage of £150m Dee Park regeneration to open. News. Available at: Source link. Accessed on 14th September, 2020. 
• Get Reading (2009) Delight at £150m regeneration for Dee Park. Local news. Available at: Source link. Accessed on 14th September, 2020. 
• Get Reading (2015) Bulldozers start demolition of Lyon Square in Dee Park. Reading & Berkshire news. Tilehurst. Available at: Source link. Accessed on 14th September, 2020. 
• HTA (n.d.) Dee Park. Projects. Available at: Source link. Accessed on 14th September, 2020. 
• Reading Council (2020) The Reading Biodiversity action plan. 2020. Draft for consultation. Available at: Source link. Accessed on 14th October, 2020
• AlokSharmaMP (2019) Dee Park Regeneration. Available at: Source link. Accessed on 14th October, 2020.
• Catalyst (n.d.) Dee Park, Reading. Available at: Source link. Accessed on 14th October, 2020.