THE LEADER of the council has reflected on his part in the town centre regeneration project ahead of the official launch.

Tomorrow the Lexicon opens, just shy of 15 year since the Bracknell Town Centre Regeneration Partnership first met.

Bracknell Forest Council head Councillor Paul Bettison OBE is one of two members to have been on the board since its inception.

Before a confetti cannon symbolically marks the rebirth of the town and the unveiling of The Lexicon shopping centre, Cllr Bettison looked back on the unique challenges the town has faced.

"It has been 21 years, so it is something of a relief," he said.

"I am excited about the fact that we are the first and only new town to get complete regeneration on the ground.

"New towns have a real challenge in keeping up with the times.

"When you build a town over a four year period all the parts will become obsolete at the same time, so it needs to be regenerated all at once.

"That is expensive and difficult to do. You have to find somebody with deep enough pockets to buy a fair part of the town and then knock it down and start again. That is what we have done."

Cllr Bettison noted that the £240million regeneration cost was met by Legal and General and Schroder UK Real Estate Fund, not the tax payer.

"They are looking to get their money back over 25 years," he continued, going on to address the fact that large parts of Bracknell are now privately owned.

"How many towns do you know where the council are wealthy enough to buy it all themselves? I can only think of Basingstoke.

"I am sure there will be people out there that have a political view that property should be state owned, but it didn't work very well in China or Russia."

The councillor said on Thursday he would enjoy the opening and talk with residents. He would not however, be drawn on which shop excited him the most.

He said: "I think what the partnership have built is first rate.

"We are lucky to have some of the best schools and best open spaces around. All that was missing was a town centre.

"I am so pleased that is going to change. We will have a shopping centre that will be the envy of the surrounding towns."