Starting small...
GreenPark is a high-quality, sustainable and commercially successful business park which provides office space for companies of all sizes, from 500 sq ft suites to 200,000 sq ft buildings, in a magnificently landscaped environment

Occupiers include leading corporates such as Cisco Systems, Symantec and LogicaCMG as well as many smaller companies. Amenities include a Cannons Health & Leisure Club, a brasserie, a day nursery and a conference centre. A wind turbine, the first on a UK business park and now a landmark for the area, was installed in November 2005.

Since the beginning, GreenPark was envisaged as a place where companies could start off small and grow on the Park or start off big and grow bigger.

"Prudential's commitment was for the long-term. Our plan was to stay with it and we hoped that occupiers would too," said PRUPIM's Tim Davis. "The ability to provide flexible accommodation on flexible terms is at the heart of the concept and it's paying off."

Growing bigger but staying put 100 Longwater Avenue was PRUPIM's first building at GreenPark. Designed by Foster and Partners, it opened in 1999. Outsourced IT sales and marketing provider, SlipStream, was one of the first tenants to take space there - with just 17 people. The company has now grown to 90 members of staff and, after its most recent move within 100 Longwater Avenue, occupies over 6,500 sq ft - a complete win-win situation for both Slipstream and Prudential.

"We completed a record year in 2005/6 and this looks set to continue to 2006/7," explained Nick Flook one of the company's founding directors. "The flexibility of the office space here suits us extremely well. As a services company we are never sure how fast we're going to grow but we need to ensure that we can take more space quickly if we need it. It's also a great environment to work in."

Gearing up for the train set
PRUPIM, in partnership with Reading Borough Council, has been developing a proposal for a new station at GreenPark for several years. This summer the station, on the Reading-Basingstoke line, was given the go ahead by the Department for Transport (DfT).

Reading GreenPark Station, which will also provide match day transport for Reading Football Club, is scheduled to open in December 2008 and will include two new platforms, station facilities, car and cycle parking, a bus interchange and provision for a future Mass Rapid Transit interchange. The plan is for it initially to be served by a 30-minute train service and increase to a 15/20-minute service as demand increases.

"A rail service from GreenPark has always been part of our vision and will be a huge benefit to occupiers at the Park and people living and working in the surrounding area," said Tim Davis. "GreenPark will be the only business park in the south of England with direct access to a principle motorway and a train station".

Better road access
Just a week after the station announcement, the government announced the approval of funding for major works to improve Junction 11 of the M4 Reading's most important road gateway and just a stone's throw from GreenPark.

The project costing around £65 million, includes the construction of a new junction around the existing junction and the conversion of the existing motorway bridges to priority routes for public transport, cycles and people on foot. On completion, Junction 11's capacity will be almost doubled. Principal works will begin in June 2007 and take around two years to complete.

New build plans
Over 1 million square feet of business space has been built and let at GreenPark to date and more than the same amount again will be built on existing phases of the park, as the market demands. Detailed planning permission is already in place for 260 and 280 South Oak Way. Designed by architects Tate & Hindle, they will provide a further 83,000 sq ft of business accommodation.

PRUPIM is also working towards submitting a planning application for a mixed-use extension to GreenPark which, if approved, will be built on about 60 acres to the west of the existing phases of development and adjacent to the railway station.

GreenPark is owned by Prudential Assurance Company and managed by PRUPIM. Leasing agents are Knight Frank and Campbell Gordon.