LANDOWNERS of the boarded up 'Deck' in Bracknell's town centre have spoken out on 'progress' at the site - nearly a year after plans for the nightlife hub project were scrapped.

Ambitions for a shopping, restaurant and bar area in the vacant site of the former Bentall’s store – demolished in 2021 – were lost as the Bracknell Regeneration Partnership announced plans had become ‘commercially unviable’ in October 2023.

Developers said that they would begin a ‘major rethink’ over what to do with the land.

Since then, little progress on the boarded-up area opposite The Bull Pub on High Street in the town centre has been made.

Now, the landowners Bracknell Regeneration Partnership has reaffirmed its 'commitment to the regeneration' and said it is in the ‘early stages of developing new plans'.

A spokesperson said: “Bracknell Regeneration Partnership remains fully committed to unlocking the next stage of the town centre’s regeneration.

“We are continuing to explore proposals for the former Bentall’s site and are seeking to ensure that the future regeneration best suits the town centre’s needs.”

The News had asked for specifics of the proposals from the Bracknell Regeneration Partnership, but these were not given.

The spokesperson added: “We are in the early stages of developing new plans for the site but once these are further developed, we will be able to share these with residents.”

It comes as the new MP for Bracknell Peter Swallow criticised developers for taking ‘far too long’ to come up with new ideas for the Deck.

He told the News: “I want it to be used for what it was originally intended for, I want the Deck to be built.”

The Labour MP added that a nightlife hub was ‘what the town centre is missing’, and that he was concerned that there wasn’t enough public space available for residents in the town centre.

Plans for a public space featuring shops, bars and restaurants, known as the Deck, first got planning permission in 2019. The land is owned by the Bracknell Regeneration Partnership.

But there was a lack of action following this, with Bracknell Forest Council blaming the pandemic and rising construction costs.

After announcing plans had fallen through in October last year, the partnership said it was working with the council to find some temporary uses for part of the space.

Councillor Paul Bidwell, in charge of regeneration, said the council were ‘really keen’ to work with developers to open up the space, which they wanted to happen ‘sooner rather than later’.