Reading is a central hub for employment, with people commuting to Reading from outside the area, including from Emmer Green, though very few employment opportunities exist in Caversham and Emmer Green itself.
We have an unmissable chance to create long term employment in Emmer Green and build the local green economy with a focus on green transport, seasonal activities for the community, on-site workshop hire space for local artists and crafts people and corporate workspace (hireable for hours, days or longer depending on the need). This flexible provision reflects changing work/life priorities post-covid enabling outdoor work and leisure opportunities in the same location, whilst enhancing access to nature and reducing commuting and congestion as more people and companies adopt flexible working patterns, all centred around the arboretum, community hub and café.
Work Studios
Located near the restaurant and other facilities, work studios would be suitable for local professionals who need a space near their own house with good internet connections, as well as local craftspeople who require a workshop. These would be temporary buildings with a high quality finish and would ensure year round patronage of the restaurant.
Café, Restaurant & Community Support
There are very few cafés, restaurants or even licensed venues in Emmer Green, and none with outdoor seating aimed at family provision. A welcoming café and restaurant with green roof and viewing areas to the arboretum would provide locally sourced seasonal and nutritious whole food to visitors and provide a social hub for different groups ranging from families, new parents, the elderly, as well as a quiet and relaxing location for Special Educational Needs groups. The menu would offer a range of meals and pricing to ensure that every visitor was catered for and would provide a peaceful and wholesome venue that could be open for local people into the evening.
There is potential for the café to utilise the most up to date energy efficient technology and practices such as a ground sourced heat pump, rain-water collection and improved insulation.
A community fridge could be based adjacent to the café. Community Fridges are spaces where anyone can access free, quality food that would otherwise go to waste, connect with others, learn about the environmental impact of food, and share knowledge and skills. This would reduce both food waste- as it would be stocked with surplus food nearing use-by date which is freely available for the local community thus reducing food poverty and income deprivation-based inequality, which like other areas of Reading is also required in Emmer Green.
Carbon Offsetting
Reading has very ambitious plans for continued economic growth which will, by default, almost certainly be high density but Reading has little available land for developers to mitigate the environmental impacts of growth. The land offers valuable carbon offsetting potential for those seeking to invest in Reading as well to local companies who could carry out team building environmental challenges such as tree planting, vernal pond digging, green wall planting and green roof planting.
While the council has no say on the undoubted widescale conversion of retail and commercial property to residential, it can have a say on providing those new residents with sufficient outdoor amenity and leisure space.
Children’s playground
While the nearby playground on Emmer Green Common is appropriate for small children, there are no nearby spaces for older children. Due to the scale of the area, there would be little issue in dedicating a small area of the land to a larger playground that could also be used by nearby schools. This could be funded by local donations and potentially pay for itself through an ongoing ticketing system ensuring that it remains relevant and well maintained.
