Dr Phillip Lee MP for Bracknell spoke at the Future of Town Centres and High Streets Debate in the House of Commons on Tuesday 17^th of January 2012 about the ongoing town developments in Bracknell.

Bracknell is at the geographical heart of Berkshire. Bracknell Forest Council and Bracknell Regeneration Partnership are jointly working on ensuring the town centre regeneration occurs as quickly as possible. The new 36,000 sq ft Waitrose store build by the Bracknell Regeneration Partnership (jointly owned by Schroders and Legal & General) opened in November 2011 and is the perfect first evidence of this. Waitrose is already acting as a catalyst attracting much interest from retailers in coming to be part of the new regeneration which is planned for the town centre.

The next phase of the regeneration will include new office, residential units and car parking and the £2m transformation of the existing entrance to Princess Square Shopping Centre. Dr Lee also pointed out the importance of attracting cultural activities such as a theatre, cinema or museum. For a sustainable town regeneration plan, Dr Lee pointed out the need to consider public transport, including links with Crossrail.

Dr Lee commented: “The debate gave me an opportunity to speak about ongoing town developments in Bracknell, which I celebrate and support. [...]In the next couple of months there will be a presentation by the Bracknell regeneration partnership announcing the next stages of the town development. Originally it was going to be a £1 billion development to happen in one go, but economic reality means that it has been broken down into a series of developments. I have every confidence that it will be completed by the end of this decade.”

He added: “The town’s sustainability and its contribution to the long-term health and happiness of all my constituents are of paramount importance to me.”

See full debate from Hansard here
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201212/cmhansrd/cm120117/debtext/120117-0002.htm#12011754000178

Dr Phillip Lee, MP for Bracknell, visited Fujitsu in Bracknell last Friday 13^th of January 2012 to meet with Simon Blagden, Chairman of Fujitsu Telecommunications Europe, Cathy Walker, Head of Public Sector Marketing and David Sillitoe, Director of Group Property for Fujitsu UK & Ireland.

Fujitsu is a leading IT systems, services and products company employing 11,400 people with an annual revenue of £1.7 billion. Bracknell excels across a number of business sectors, with a particularly strong base of expertise in technologies and science. It is often referred to as the ‘Silicon Valley of Europe’.

Bracknell has evolved into one of Britain’s leading ‘knowledge economies’ –characterised by concentrations of high skill and technology industries such as advanced engineering, ICT and pharmaceuticals, financial and business services. In an independent survey commissioned by the BCC and Experian in 2010 Bracknell was ranked No 1 location for foreign owned businesses. Bracknell has the highest share of high-tech employment of any location in the UK.

Dr Lee commented: “It was a pleasure to meet with Simon Blagden, Chairman of Fujitsu Telecommunications Europe, Cathy Walker, Head of Public Sector Marketing and David Sillitoe, Director of Group Property for Fujitsu UK & Ireland.  Fujitsu does many things to support this country, many of which are undertaken within Bracknell constituency. I am proud to have such a successful company in my patch that is contributing to the thriving economy here in Bracknell.”

Dr Phillip Lee, MP for Bracknell, visited the new Waitrose in Bracknell last Friday 9th of December to meet with Graham Oakley, Branch Manager. The John Lewis Partnership is one of the largest employers in Bracknell Constituency. The new store will create 172 new jobs for the area. The opening of the new supermarket is a significant step forward to Bracknell Town regeneration plans and with our festive season coming up the store and its employees have the busiest time of the year.

Dr Lee commented: “I am very pleased to have Waitrose as the largest employer in my constituency. The new store in Bracknell will create 172 new jobs which is a positive sign of town development. Graham Oakley and his staff are doing a fantastic job of providing a great store for everyone to use.”

Dr Phillip Lee, MP for Bracknell, was warmly welcomed by Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (KAS) last week from the 23^rd to 25^th of November 2011. Dr Lee attended a 3-day trip as part of the British young parliamentarian’s delegation to join German MP’s on discussions about German-British relations.   

KAS is a political party foundation associated with the centre-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU). The foundation’s civic education program is aiming at the “promotion of freedom and liberty, peace, and justice” through “furthering European unification, improving transatlantic relations and deepening development cooperation.” As a think-tank and consulting agency, the foundation intends to provide citizens with a basis for political action through the research and analyses of current political trends.

Dr Lee commented: “I very much enjoyed my visit to the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung. It was a fantastic visit and I returned from Berlin with very interesting new impressions and thoughts.”

Dr Lee added: “I was discussing similarities and differences between German and British politics with Bundestag members when we had a tour of the Bundestag and the Soviet Graffiti wall captured my attention. The question arose whether a close memory of the past shapes the Germans present euro view of the Euro crisis.”

Dr Phillip Lee, MP for Bracknell, has welcomed new measures from the Government to ensure young people and small businesses feel the full benefits of the successful expansion of apprenticeships.

Data released last month showed that here in Bracknell:

• 510 people started an apprenticeship in 2009/10.
• 780 people started an apprenticeship in 2010/11.
• This means the number of people starting an apprenticeship increased by 270 last year

Dr Lee commented: “This is great news for the business and young people in Bracknell. The record rise in apprenticeship numbers, particularly in Advanced ‘A’ level equivalent qualifications shows the Government’s commitment to helping employers train the skilled workers they need to build a stronger economy and sustainable growth.”

He added: “I also welcome the cash bonuses for small firms who take on young apprentices and I urge companies in Bracknell to take up this opportunity.”