The long-awaited regeneration of Wokingham's central Peach Street has begun today

Work has sarted on transforming the outdated 1960s style shopping parade by creating a new pedestrianised square of cafés, restaurants and shops where Rose Street car park now sits.

Cllr Mark Ashwell, Wokingham Borough Council’s executive member for planning and regeneration, said: “January is going to see spades in the ground on a project that we’ve carefully planned, with residents and businesses, for many years. We will be getting rid of the dated 1960s parade and replacing it with attractive new buildings that have been designed to improve the look of the town centre and with the flexibility to adapt to the changing needs of the town centre for years to come.

“It also allows us to strengthen the things that make Wokingham unique compared to larger neighbours, such as the increasingly popular café culture and the strong mix of independent stores alongside larger nationals. Whilst it’s early days yet, we have been really pleased with the level of interest from businesses in taking on units within Wokingham and firmly believe that we can deliver the great town centre that Wokingham and its residents deserve to have.”

From today, Rose Street car park will close, with signs displays informing users of the closure and redirecting them to alternative parking.

The last of the shops and other businesses in the section of Peach Street to be rebuilt (from Clintons Cards to, but not including, the Redan) will move out.

Pedestrian access to the Methodist Church and Bradbury Centre will be maintained from Rose Street throughout the works.

During the demolition work in Peach Street (expected to start at the end of February) the road will be reduced to one lane for around 15 weeks. The footpath will also be closed for the remainder of the works. 

The contractor, Dawnus, will be based in a site office in the former Domino’s Pizza unit in Bush Walk While all this is happening, the town centre will remain open for business with plenty of car parking and easy access to all its shops and other attractions.

Cllr Ashwell said: “The message to shoppers planning to come to the town’s great shops, cafes, restaurants and pubs is - don’t panic, Wokingham is open for business and is still a great place to visit. We’ve got 1,600 town centre parking spaces within close walking distance of Market Place, we’ve got 65 independent shops, 30 bars and restaurants, four markets a week and a farmers’ market every month. We will also be making sure any roadworks are clearly communicated so people know what to expect when they make their way into and out of town.”