Enterprise centre funding withdrawn

Published 5 Jul 2012 06:00 2 Comments

BUSINESSES are being given six months' notice to find new premises after councillors decided to stop funding an enterprise centre.

Bracknell Forest Council's Executive decided on Tuesday to withdraw funding from the Crowthorne Enterprise Centre (CEC), which is 10 years old this year and just over half its 60 offices are occupied.

The councillors felt tenant numbers were unlikely to increase given the amount of newer office space in more central locations.

Also, the centre had been forecast to lose £135,000 this financial year.

Victor Nicholls, the council's assistant chief executive, said: "We have given the centre's owners six months' notice that we intend to withdraw. I hope this will give businesses the time to find alternative accommodation."

Jo Willett, marketing and business development director of Oxford Innovation, the company managing the centre on behalf of the council, said: "It is always of regret when long-established business centres such as Crowthorne close.

"The centre has provided invaluable support to countless growing businesses in Bracknell Forest and I am immensely proud of the staff and what has been achieved.

"We are working closely with our tenants and with the council to offer all the help, support and advice we can about new locations."

It has 12,000 sq ft of office space and is based at the Transport Research Laboratory site off Nine Mile Ride.

* Are you based at the centre? What do you think of the news? Comments can be left below or email letters@bracknellnews.co.uk

Tweet

Have your say. Post a comment on this article.

• 

  honeybear
  288 posts
  Jul 6, 05:28
  Report comment

  Should never have been built as there is masses of empty office space. Again bad planning by Bracknell Forest.
  
  This proves as Bracknell Forest are admitting that the empty office space will not be filled due to the amount of empty central office space.
  
  Clearing the way to destroy the trees at TRL site and build too many houses at this location.
  
  The only areas that should be built on is on the sites of the current buildings.
  
  The rest should be left as forestry and a nice new free car park and new country park built for the community.
  
  Also the developers should be made to improve the Nine Mile Road, the A3095 and provide cycle and foot paths on these lethal roads.
  
  Recommend?   Yes 3     No 6

• 

  Dawning
  3 posts
  Aug 28, 03:07
  Report comment

  Honeybear - It was not "built" it is the old TRRL offices before TRL took over. The place is full of empty office blocks. The CEC only takes a small bit of the place. If they don't give permission for houses here, there will be more empty new office blocks here instead of cruddy old ones. And still no-one in them. Build here, so that people can live in the countryside. It's a silly place for offices.
  
  Recommend?   Yes 2     No 0

Return to the main index, get more from this section or browse our News archives.

Follow @bracknellnews