The future of Bracknell town centre is back in focus after last year's sale of The Lexicon. All eyes are on the central plot by The Bull - the former Bentalls site - boarded up since demolition in 2021.
Bracknell Forest councillor Paul Bidwell wants talks with the site's new owners to get a timeline and gauge investment. "Now that the transition to the new owner is complete, I'm looking forward to understanding what their plans are for the former Bentalls site."
Ownership is split: the council controls Braccan Walk, the High Street and Town Square, while The Lexicon estate - including Princess Square and the Bentalls plot - is now owned by Realty Income.
Realty Income bought The Lexicon for around £150 million in 2025 and, as of April 2026, is valued at around £58 billion on the New York Stock Exchange.
The Bentalls site, known recently as "The Deck", has seen several stalled plans. A 2019 scheme for restaurants and leisure in a figure-of-eight layout was abandoned; in 2023 the former owners said the development had become "commercially unviable", blaming the Covid-19 pandemic and rising construction costs.
Since then ideas have ranged from retail and leisure to calls for public green space, but no firm proposals from the new owners have been seen. Stakeholders are reportedly keen to explore temporary uses while longer-term plans are developed, and attention now turns to what direction Realty Income will take.
Ted O'Neill, Local Democracy Reporter
