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Staff John Hotson, Hannah O’Neill and Andy Rogers with a petition to save the pub earlier this year.
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The Redan pub must make way for bigger M&S store

November 16, 2010

A town centre pub would have to relocate under proposals for Wokingham’s regeneration.

Wilson Bowden’s vision for the town centre includes doubling the size of the Marks & Spencer branch in Peach Street, which would lead to the demolition of The Redan pub.

Staff at the popular bar have led a campaign to retain it in its existing home.

Hundreds show support to save The Redan

Wokingham Borough Council agreed earlier this year it would try to retain the frontage of The Redan and provide it with a new home in the redevelopment.

This week Andy Rogers, landlord of The Redan, said the news left him with an uncertain future while he waits to find out whether the financial prospects of a relocation would work.

Mr Rogers said: “I’m playing a waiting game, which is what I have done since I took on The Redan. It has always been me waiting to find out what is happening with the regeneration.

“I will do anything I can to keep the pub myself, but I am not holding my breath.”

Councillor Matt Deegan, executive member for community regeneration, said extensive talks would be held with local traders and other landowners over the coming months.

Town must get ‘right balance’ of shops

Cllr Deegan said: “Now we are in a position where we are able to speak to people.

“We haven’t been able to speak to people before now because of the legal situation we were in with the development process.

“We haven’t been able to speak to Wilson Bowden or the other shortlisted developers since July until now, that is the process we were in.”

Work on this part of the regeneration is not expected to begin until January 2015.

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This is nothing short of criminal, how can WBC destroy the heritage it already has! Hundreds of locals signed this petition to save the Redan and still they do not listen! CRIMINAL!

Woky Local, Wokingham
22/11/2010 at 19:03

Could someone enlighten me as to where exactly these 'unique' and full of 'character' shops are in Wokingham. Unless you mean Greggs? The pound shop full of tutt? The tattooist? Or maybe the florist with the window display that hasn't been changed since the Royal Wedding of 1981?

Bring on the bulldozers....

EP, Finchampstead
22/11/2010 at 15:20

I wonder how many of you have actually studied the Town Centre Masterplan. It is on the council website. people should study it before making these ill informed comments. Do people honestly think that the council would not want to preserve the special character of our small town with all its wonderful old buildings? One of the Masterplan key policies states quite clearly 'The Council will seek to retain and enhance the historic market town character of Wokingham....by....conserving areas of historic interest.' And Mavdo, you should take time out to read the responses to the public consultation about the Masterplan carried out earlier this year (again available on the WBC website) before suggesting that the council have not taken on board local concerns.

LarryS
19/11/2010 at 13:51

This rubbish really winds me up. Let's change all of Wokingham to something modern and get rid of all the old and traditional buildings that make Wokingham what it is. In 10-20 years this re-generation will look old and dated and Wokingham willl look like Bracknell today. The way the town looks now is timeless.

Oh and a bigger Marks and Spencers???? WHO CARES!!! NOT NEEDED!!

DanRanger, Woosehill
18/11/2010 at 09:18

I also believe that the old buildings and small town feel are what give Wokingham its charm. I don't mind the 20th century buildings being replaced but there are a lot of nice older buildings that I believe need to be retained.

CMA
17/11/2010 at 13:29

Why can't the council understand that the old buildings are what give Wokingham its character. Retaining a frontage means nothing. What is important is the whole building and its history. As for stupid comments like "providing a new location for the pub", that completely misses the point. By all means replace the concrete monstrocities constructed in the middle of the 20th century but we want our old buildings and green space preserved.

David Wilson, Wokingham
17/11/2010 at 10:52

this is beyond a joke, so were tearing out the heart of wokingham just to waste more money in the long run... the charm of wokingham is its got unique shops, building ect and history too... it will just be a mini big town and that would be a shame..

billy_mc, wokingham
16/11/2010 at 15:32

Marks do better nosh than the Redan. Ciao.

S C A R
16/11/2010 at 14:47

Just as I said many months ago - the council and the developers never had any intention of keeping the Redan, and just like the huge scale housing developments in Wokingham and Bracknell, our councils never have any intention of listening to the residents the the concerns thereof because they aren't likely to be councillors when the problems arrive (eg with traffic etc).

Despite this, the councillors seem utterly convinced they are doing what the residents want and are addressing all the concerns. It is a war we cannot win because they really don't believe that they are not listening to us. Does delusion come with the job? I think I might move out of the area. I'm utterly p****d off with the way our councils plough on with their own schemes against the concerns of the residents.

With nearly 6000 new homes within 4 miles of Binfield, and a town centre being bulldozed and rebuilt (including the one building most people want to keep) without that much concern for how the roads work around it, we are heading for disaster and gridlock. But why should the councillors care? Either they won't be in the job when the problems hit, or they'll be able to blame someone else who was, and put up council tax to pay for a fix.