Last updated: October 2021
The Dee Park Regeneration Project aims to rebuild the 1,100 homes from the 1960s-built estate, that has been worked on in close consultation with the community. The estate is one of the 20 per cent most deprived areas in the country. The vision for the regeneration project is to create “a safe, inclusive and sustainable community, economically, environmentally and socially, as part of the wider Reading, where people want to live and work, and which will inspire a sense of pride”. The third and final phase of the project is ongoing and is expected to be completed soon. (Ref. 1, 4, 8, 9)
Dee Park Regeneration
Source: Ref. 6
Overview
Nature-based solution
- Grey infrastructure featuring greens
- Alley or street trees and other street vegetation
- Green playgrounds and school grounds
- Parks and urban forests
- Pocket parks/neighbourhood green spaces
- Green areas for water management
- Sustainable urban drainage systems
Key challenges
- Water management (SDG 6)
- Flood protection
- Stormwater and rainfall management and storage
- Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
- Habitat and biodiversity restoration
- Green space creation and/or management
- Regeneration, land-use and urban development
- Regulation of built environment
- Promote natural styles of landscape design for urban development
- Social justice, cohesion and equity (SDG 10)
- Environmental education
- Social justice and equity
- Health and well-being (SDG 3)
- Enabling opportunities for physical activity
- Creation of opportunities for recreation
Focus
Creation of new green areas, Transformation of previously derelict areas, Other
Project objectives
The vision is to create e.g. a safe/inclusive, socially, economically and environmentally sustainable community in Reading. Some of the objectives are: create a sustainable neighbourhood (to achieve social, economic and environmental objectives); improve the socio-economic balance; improve the recreational value and quality of open spaces and public realms; improve local environmental quality and ensure that regeneration proposals minimise any adverse impacts on biodiversity, create new habitats and protect and enhance existing habitats.
Regarding flooding: incorporate sustainable urban drainage facilities and techniques (as part of the layout of development as appropriate and as advised by the Environment Agency), this means to e.g. minimise the size of impermeable areas so that peak run-off and annual water run-off is reduced where possible and in any case is no greater than the original conditions of the site. (Ref. 1)
Implementation activities
The whole estate will be redeveloped to a green area along with new housing, school, community centre and shops. Improvements will also be made to all the existing roads and closes, including new pavements and lighting. It will create public realms that are e.g. ‘clean, attractive and safe’. In addition, pedestrian routes and open spaces linking homes with the local facilities, good public transport access to the town centre and other local destination, a variety of dwellings and tenures that will improve the mix of housing on the estate and meet community needs, construction of distinctive buildings that will reinforce local identity and ensuring that new buildings are energy-efficient and flexible. (Ref. 1-4)
Biodiversity conservation or restoration-focused activities
Biodiversity restoration:
- Restore species (native, endangered, or unspecified)
- Restore ecological connectivity
- Public engagement
Main beneficiaries
- Local government/Municipality
- Public sector institution (e.g. school or hospital)
- Citizens or community groups
Governance
Management set-up
- Co-governance with government and non-government actors
Type of initiating organisation
- Local government/municipality
- Citizens or community group
Participatory approaches/ community involvement
- Co-planning (e.g. stakeholder workshops, focus groups, participatory mapping)
- Consultation (e.g. workshop, surveys, community meetings, town halls)
Details on the roles of the organisations involved in the project
It has been a community-led regeneration project from the outset, where a residents’ action group, CRAG, was formed before the competitive dialogue commenced in 2005. The project is led by the Dee Park Partnership; a joint venture between Willmott Dixon and Catalyst Housing, in partnership with Reading Borough Council. (Ref. 1, 5, 6)
Project implemented in response to ...
... an EU policy or strategy?
Unknown
... a national policy or strategy?
Yes
(The policy framework for the project comprises large number of planning documents at National, Regional, County and Borough levels. Key national policy guidance in relation to sustainable development and the government’s objectives for planning are in Planning Policy Statement (PPS) 1 and for Housing are in PPS 3. (Ref. 1) )
... a local policy or strategy?
Yes
(At regional and county level are: the Regional Spatial Strategy and the Berkshire Structure Plan 2001-2016. Borough policies consist of a mix of ‘saved’ policies (e.g. Waste Minimisation, CS3, Design and the Public Realm, Provision of Open Space) in the Reading Borough Local Plan 1991-2006, policies in the Reading Core Strategy (2008) and adopted Supplementary Planning Documents and Guidance (SPDs and SPGs). (Ref. 1) )
Financing
Total cost
More than €4,000,000
Source(s) of funding
- Public national budget
Type of funding
- Direct funding (grants, subsidies, or self-financed projects by private entities)
Non-financial contribution
Unknown
Impacts and Monitoring
Environmental impacts
- Water management and blue areas
- Improved water quality
- Increased protection against flooding
- Improved stormwater management
- Green space and habitat
- Promotion of naturalistic styles of landscape design for urban development
- Increased green space area
- Increased conservation or restoration of ecosystems
Economic impacts
- Increase of green jobs (e.g. paid employment positions)
- Increased property prices
- Attraction of business and investment
- Other
Socio-cultural impacts
- Social justice and cohesion
- Improved liveability
- Increased involvement of locals in the management of green spaces
- Health and wellbeing
- Improved physical health
- Gain in activities for recreation and exercise
- Cultural heritage and sense of place
- Increased appreciation for natural spaces
- Education
- Increased support for education and scientific research
Type of reported impacts
Expected impacts
Presence of formal monitoring system
Unknown
Presence of indicators used in reporting
No evidence in public records
Presence of monitoring/ evaluation reports
No evidence in public records
Availability of a web-based monitoring tool
No
References
Ref. 1. Reading Borough Council (2008) Dee Park Planning Brief. Planning Section, Planning & Building Control, Director of Environment, Culture & Sport, Reading Borough Council. URL: Source link. Not available as of 14th October, 2020.
Ref. 2. Get Reading (2011) First tenants move into Dee Park homes. Local news. Available at: Source link. Accessed on 14th September, 2020.
Ref. 3. ITV (2015) Latest stage of £150m Dee Park regeneration to open. News. Available at: Source link. Accessed on 14th September, 2020.
Ref. 4. Get Reading (2009) Delight at £150m regeneration for Dee Park. Local news. Available at: Source link. Accessed on 14th September, 2020.
Ref. 5. Get Reading (2015) Bulldozers start demolition of Lyon Square in Dee Park. Reading & Berkshire news. Tilehurst. Available at: Source link. Accessed on 14th September, 2020.
Ref. 6. HTA (n.d.) Dee Park. Projects. Available at: Source link. Accessed on 14th September, 2020.
Ref. 7. Reading Council (2020) The Reading Biodiversity action plan. 2020. Draft for consultation. Available at: Source link. Accessed on 14th October, 2020.
Ref. 8. AlokSharmaMP (2019) Dee Park Regeneration. Available at: Source link. Accessed on 14th October, 2020.
Ref. 9. Catalyst (n.d.) Dee Park, Reading. Available at: Source link. Accessed on 14th October, 2020.
Ref. 2. Get Reading (2011) First tenants move into Dee Park homes. Local news. Available at: Source link. Accessed on 14th September, 2020.
Ref. 3. ITV (2015) Latest stage of £150m Dee Park regeneration to open. News. Available at: Source link. Accessed on 14th September, 2020.
Ref. 4. Get Reading (2009) Delight at £150m regeneration for Dee Park. Local news. Available at: Source link. Accessed on 14th September, 2020.
Ref. 5. Get Reading (2015) Bulldozers start demolition of Lyon Square in Dee Park. Reading & Berkshire news. Tilehurst. Available at: Source link. Accessed on 14th September, 2020.
Ref. 6. HTA (n.d.) Dee Park. Projects. Available at: Source link. Accessed on 14th September, 2020.
Ref. 7. Reading Council (2020) The Reading Biodiversity action plan. 2020. Draft for consultation. Available at: Source link. Accessed on 14th October, 2020.
Ref. 8. AlokSharmaMP (2019) Dee Park Regeneration. Available at: Source link. Accessed on 14th October, 2020.
Ref. 9. Catalyst (n.d.) Dee Park, Reading. Available at: Source link. Accessed on 14th October, 2020.