Bracknell: New Town, Tech Corridor, and the Berkshire Commuter Belt
Bracknell was designated a new town in 1949 to take London's overspill. The original town centre was demolished and replaced by the Lexicon shopping centre, which opened in 2017 after a long and expensive redevelopment. The population is around 84,000 within the wider Bracknell Forest borough of approximately 124,000. The town sits on the A329 between Reading and the M3, in the western arc of London's commuter belt.
The technology sector is the defining feature of the local economy. Bracknell and the surrounding area host offices for Dell, Honeywell, Panasonic, Fujitsu, and numerous smaller firms. The Met Office was headquartered here from 1961 until its move to Exeter in 2003. Swinley Forest and the Look Out Discovery Centre provide green space on the southern edge. For adult companionship, Bracknell falls under Thames Valley Police, the same force covering Reading, Oxford, and Milton Keynes. The concentration of business travellers and corporate offices in the area shapes local demand patterns.
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Bracknell was designated a new town in 1949 to take London's overspill. The original town centre was demolished and replaced by the Lexicon shopping centre, which opened in 2017 after a long and expensive redevelopment. The population is around 84,000 within the wider Bracknell Forest borough of approximately 124,000. The town sits on the A329 between Reading and the M3, in the western arc of London's commuter belt.
The technology sector is the defining feature of the local economy. Bracknell and the surrounding area host offices for Dell, Honeywell, Panasonic, Fujitsu, and numerous smaller firms. The Met Office was headquartered here from 1961 until its move to Exeter in 2003. Swinley Forest and the Look Out Discovery Centre provide green space on the southern edge. For adult companionship, Bracknell falls under Thames Valley Police, the same force covering Reading, Oxford, and Milton Keynes. The concentration of business travellers and corporate offices in the area shapes local demand patterns.
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