A report highlighting the achievements, key successes and learning of the High Street Heritage Action Zone project since the start of its delivery phase in 2020.

The Committee received a report which highlighted the achievements, key successes and learning of the High Street Heritage Action Zone (HSHAZ) project since the start of its delivery phase in 2020. The project team and partners had worked closely and flexibly with stakeholders, the community and funders, Historic England, to develop and successfully deliver the ambitious heritage and culture placemaking project, despite unexpected major challenges over the four years of the programme.

The report explained that the Reading HSHAZ had been an exciting programme of conservation repairs, public realm improvements and community and cultural activity across three areas of Reading - Oxford Road, St Mary’s Butts & Castle Street and Market Place & London Street. The programme had been targeted at high streets within conservation areas. The funding had been awarded with a particular focus on Oxford Road conservation area (from the IDR to Reading West bridge), where there had been most need for physical improvement of shopfronts. Reading HSHAZ had delivered a range of projects to understand the heritage of and to improve Reading’s urban environment. HSHAZ had worked with owners of eight buildings to improve the appearance of shop fronts to be more in keeping with being in conservation areas. Following community consultation, there had been a series of public realm improvements (including new paving, signage, public art and lamp posts), and four listed town centre monuments had been restored.

Resolved:      That the successes of the HSHAZ programme set out within the report be noted, including:

·       Improving nine shop fronts to be more in keeping with their conservation areas setting, including supplement planning documents and conservation methods that could be used and replicated;

·      A series of public realm improvements, including restoring four listed town centre monuments, new paving, signage, four public artworks, two of which would remain in place for at least ten years, and lamp posts, based on community engagement;

·      A legacy of materials that would remain accessible to the public including the communities’ hidden histories, A semi-permanent exhibit ‘Oracle Gates’ in Reading Museum, four audio walks, a play, multiple films, school education materials, podcasts, interviews, and a book.