THE LEADER of the council has claimed no other town 'has the guts' to do what Bracknell did as he looked ahead to 2018.

Paul Bettison lauded the success of The Lexicon, whilst claiming that Bracknell is the first town in the UK to completely regenerate the town. 

"I believe we are the first town in the country to completely renovate all at once. 

"There is no value in regenerating one street of shops, as nobody would take up any rent in there, whereas we've done the entire town at once.

"It has been a whirlwind of a year really, the amalgamation of 30 years of work to get the town centre regenerated."

When discussing the plans for 2018, Cllr Bettison admitted it won't be such a grandstand year as 2017 was.

"We certainly won't be opening any new town centres." Mr Bettison joked. 

"It's going to be very much a year of consolidation, while we still have exciting plans for the town. 

"The council has acquired the Easthampstead House, as well as the police station, and both of them will be incorporated into the regeneration."

Mr Bettison also touched on one of the surprising facts about The Lexicon.

"Part of the success that I am most proud of with Bracknell is not something that will be very publicly known.

"The way we've done it means that the town centre will never have to be redeveloped in one go again. 

"Some of the buildings and streets will last for 70 years, some of them for 100, but because of the architecture, it will never result in a complete overhaul again. 

"Nobody else has had the guts, or taken the risk to completely demolish the entire town and start again."