Born and raised in the Thames Valley and most significantly Reading, Barton Willmore is an 80 year old planning and design practice who are passionate about the town’s success. Moving to The Blade in June 2014 brought us back into the heart of the town and the heart of our thriving business community. But with that has come an awareness of Reading’s existing strengths; challenges and great potential, both in the short and long term.

As one of the UK’s leading Planning and Design consultancies, we work on projects at many scales in towns and cities across the UK and internationally, reviewing urban landscapes and identifying opportunities for improvement of the built form, infrastructure, public realm. In every project, we ultimately seek to deliver development and opportunities that build proud communities and maximise existing assets. Within Reading we wanted to harness the knowledge, enthusiasm and commitment apparent throughout our business community and beyond, to identify the opportunities we all saw and would importantly support/invest in. The process of delivering a vision for an aspiring city such as Reading, is a challenging one, but as our process expanded to the wider community, we have been heartened by exceptional enthusiasm and a willingness to contribute, as well as an overwhelming desire from all, for Reading to continue to succeed.

We are delighted to have been at the centre of this process to date, and hope the vision you see here provides a robust, yet ambitious framework for growth that benefits everyone across Reading, over the next 30+ years. Most importantly though, we hope that this Vision inspires you to consider and act on what your personal contribution to delivering this very bright future for Reading might be and as a result, we look forward to working with you!

Key contacts

• Kim Cohen, Planning Partner – Kim is a prominent Planner in the Thames Valley and has been a key driving force in the consultation process and realisation of the Vision to date.
• Jenni Montgomery, Business Development Director – Jenni has been a champion of the inclusive visioning process since day 1, and is a co-author of all Reading 2050 material to date.
• Kelly Caulfield, Marketing Manager – Kelly is an avid Reading fan, and has brought her creative talents to bear on each stage of the consultation and realisation of the Vision to date.
• Sammy Brennan, Senior Graphic Designer – Sammy is a talented Graphic Designer who has worked hard to develop the Vision’s identity and ensure its message is engaging and inspiring.
• Richard Webb, Associate Landscape Designer – Rich is passionate about placemaking and the role of public realm within this. His ideas and imagery have assisted the Vison at every stage.
• Silviu Pasargiu, Senior Architect – Silviu is a talented Architectural designer, and avid illustrator, who has brought his talents to bear in bringing many of the amazing ideas contained in the Vision to life.

www.bartonwillmore.co.uk