adarmo Posted October 2, 2020 Share Posted October 2, 2020 On 06/09/2020 at 08:34, spyguy said: Interesting stats from another post on here. https://www.plumplot.co.uk/Reading-salary-and-unemployment.html Despite the claims of a job miracle, reading's is higher than national average. Hart 2.3% Bracknell Forest 2.4% Basingstoke and Deane 2.5% Wokingham 2.5% West Berkshire 2.8% United Kingdom 3.8% Reading 4% Not exactly like for like there. Reading is a totally different mix to the other areas in that list. How does Reading compare to Swindon? Slough? Other large towns/ cities? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spyguy Posted February 17, 2021 Share Posted February 17, 2021 On 09/02/2019 at 11:59, spyguy said: https://amp.theguardian.com/education/2019/feb/09/reading-university-in-crisis-amid-questions-over-121m-land-sales?CMP=twt_a-education_b-gdnedu&__twitter_impression=true Reading is not in a position to easily repay the £121m converted into a loan, which would take its debts to £300m. Its recent financial struggles include large losses from an overseas venture, falling undergraduate student numbers and operating deficits totalling more than £40m over the past two years. I don wonder about the viability of Unis in the South. The accommodation cost makes studying at them pretty daunting. Ive told my kids that they are off to a Northern Uni. And I also wonder how hard it must be getting junior - and senior - staff to relocate to the area. On 09/02/2019 at 15:06, Bear Hug said: They are struggling at the time of the highest ever student fees, largest student numbers and lowest borrowing costs. What can possibly go wrong? Academic Year Number of students 2017/18 16995 2016/17 15840 2015/16 14980 2014/15 14325 And Reading UNI in the news again https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-56083667 "Students have been victims of this pandemic too", says Professor Robert Van de Noort, vice chancellor at the University of Reading. He is one of a group of vice chancellors who has called for interest on student loans to be scrapped for the duration of the pandemic. It's a largely symbolic gesture because, like fee rebates, it would only ultimately help the highest earning graduates - those who ultimately pay off all their loan. Professor Van De Noort says he also wants ministers in England to look carefully at the £500 cash payments given in Northern Ireland. For him, however, the bottom line is universities can't do more, after losing money during the pandemic. In March, last year, things looked grim at the University of Reading. It was facing losses including catering, conferences and letting out student accommodation during the summer Reading Festival. "Our reasonable worst case scenario came down to a loss of £100m of income over a three-year period." The university started negotiations to ask staff to take a pay cut to avoid redundancies - a step that so far hasn't been needed as the university dug into reserves and completed a sale of some land. Professor Van de Noort says his university will weather the financial pressures, but warns: "What I can see is a number of mergers between smaller and larger universities - where the smaller is no longer financially stable - and potentially with colleges." The financial collapse of a university in England is unlikely to be allowed, but some will have gone into the red further as a result of losing money in the pandemic. Now I dont think HE sector have had a bad covid - theyve ben able to furlough, staff ,students have been ripped off, tuition fees have rolled in, yet the Reading VC is on about losses from activities that ought to be pretty minior. These cuts and whatnot were before Covid. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fandanman Posted February 18, 2021 Share Posted February 18, 2021 On 05/04/2020 at 10:09, spyguy said: I dont think the Corona virus will be kind to Reading's homeowners. More so than other areas. Im expecting mass defaults by tenants, leading to mass defaults by LLs. Readings economy, being built of relatively low paid service jobs, staffed by migrants, is going to be hammered. Hey long time no speak. Hows that little prediction going nearly a year on? In fact I can tell you whats happening in the real world, its all moving along nicely, the tenants are happy, the landlords are happy, houses being built left right and centre to meet demand. The job market is a little subdued but still plenty out there. Imagine what will happen once lockdown ends ;o) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fandanman Posted February 19, 2021 Share Posted February 19, 2021 On 05/04/2020 at 10:09, spyguy said: I dont think the Corona virus will be kind to Reading's homeowners. More so than other areas. Im expecting mass defaults by tenants, leading to mass defaults by LLs. Readings economy, being built of relatively low paid service jobs, staffed by migrants, is going to be hammered. Hows this prediction looking now. In fact in the real world houses are being built faster than ever, getting snapped up faster than ever, landlords and tennants all reasonably happy and the jobs market pretty good all things considered. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fandanman Posted February 19, 2021 Share Posted February 19, 2021 On 06/09/2020 at 08:34, spyguy said: Interesting stats from another post on here. https://www.plumplot.co.uk/Reading-salary-and-unemployment.html Despite the claims of a job miracle, reading's is higher than national average. Hart 2.3% Bracknell Forest 2.4% Basingstoke and Deane 2.5% Wokingham 2.5% West Berkshire 2.8% United Kingdom 3.8% Reading 4% I've uploaded the latest figures for you 🐵 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spyguy Posted March 24, 2021 Share Posted March 24, 2021 On 22/12/2018 at 22:43, Shamus said: Basingstoke is very busy at the moment. The Malls have a reasonable Christmas market and access from the car parks and railway station is good. The older part of town seems to be benefiting from some small independant businesses opening. I think people from 20 miles around Basingstoke will travel there. It's a lot less stressful than travelling into Reading. On 23/12/2018 at 06:54, spyguy said: Its Xmas - it ought to be busy. Its the other ~50 weeks of the year that it will struggle with. The bstoke ->Rdg train is pretty quick and easy - 20m tootle down a branch line. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-56511374 The closures include four "At Home" shops in Ashford, Basingstoke, Chester and Tunbridge Wells, and four department stores in Aberdeen, Peterborough, Sheffield and York. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shamus Posted March 25, 2021 Share Posted March 25, 2021 22 hours ago, spyguy said: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-56511374 The closures include four "At Home" shops in Ashford, Basingstoke, Chester and Tunbridge Wells, and four department stores in Aberdeen, Peterborough, Sheffield and York. My post was dec 2018 and a lot had changed re Covid. However I agree it’s all getting worse for Basingstoke with viables business park emptying. Rumours of a big automated Amazon warehouse coming and the council fixated with high rent in festival place and opening more offices in basingview. Only highlight today is a TV drama being filmed in empty basingview 🤪 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fandanman Posted April 2, 2021 Share Posted April 2, 2021 "Cine Valley" Looks like Reading could become a major hub for the film industry over the next few years. https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.bbc.co.uk/news/amp/uk-england-berkshire-56526051 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spyguy Posted April 17, 2021 Share Posted April 17, 2021 On 02/04/2021 at 06:48, fandanman said: "Cine Valley" Looks like Reading could become a major hub for the film industry over the next few years. https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.bbc.co.uk/news/amp/uk-england-berkshire-56526051 A condition states the studio would be removed and the land "restored to its former condition" in 2026. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spyguy Posted April 17, 2021 Share Posted April 17, 2021 https://suite.endole.co.uk/insight/company/13039287-shinfield-studios-limited?page=overview Nothing. No accounts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Si1 Posted April 30, 2021 Share Posted April 30, 2021 On 17/04/2021 at 09:50, spyguy said: https://suite.endole.co.uk/insight/company/13039287-shinfield-studios-limited?page=overview Nothing. No accounts. I think our EA friend may have left the building. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spyguy Posted September 3, 2021 Share Posted September 3, 2021 On 02/04/2021 at 06:48, fandanman said: "Cine Valley" Looks like Reading could become a major hub for the film industry over the next few years. https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.bbc.co.uk/news/amp/uk-england-berkshire-56526051 On 17/04/2021 at 09:48, spyguy said: A condition states the studio would be removed and the land "restored to its former condition" in 2026. https://www.getreading.co.uk/news/reading-berkshire-news/new-temporary-shinfield-film-studio-20428625 The new temporary film studio being built near Reading could become permanent, if the company behind the scheme gets its way. Shinfield Studios wants to open a four-stage film studio at Thames Valley Science Park in September, so a US production company can shoot the next instalment of “a very well-known movie franchise series”. Still all a bit vague and amateur, compared to - https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-08-02/blackstone-to-create-u-k-film-production-studio-for-streaming Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
streamingfreedom Posted February 1, 2022 Share Posted February 1, 2022 Hello. Been a long time since I last looked at these forums! Latest anecdotals from friends in Reading - house prices been pushed up significantly by influx of Hong Kong citizens moving over, generally bidding up property in all the good areas paying cash. School where friends child goes in Wokingham had to put on an additional class to accommodate the influx of new students. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spyguy Posted February 3, 2022 Share Posted February 3, 2022 On 01/02/2022 at 13:44, streamingfreedom said: Hello. Been a long time since I last looked at these forums! Latest anecdotals from friends in Reading - house prices been pushed up significantly by influx of Hong Kong citizens moving over, generally bidding up property in all the good areas paying cash. School where friends child goes in Wokingham had to put on an additional class to accommodate the influx of new students. Wokingham isnt Reading. Unless you get into one of th two (only 2) good schools - see earlier in this thread- then you want to avoid schooling your kids in Reading. Wokingham is a far far better bet, avoiding both the underachieving hell of Rdg to the Est and Bracknell to the West. Wokingham is just very boring, congested (mainly of the above) and getting more n expensive and slower to get anywhere with jobs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spyguy Posted June 28, 2022 Share Posted June 28, 2022 On 18/11/2018 at 07:47, spyguy said: I think the issue is that, depite very low IRs, and town absolutely packed to the garden shed with migrants, prices are falling. Imagine when benefits change and a lot of migrants go home. And IRs are raised. The last census - 2010 - showed about 30% of the population 2000-2010, had been 'replaced' . It guess that trend has contnued and half the town population is not born in the Reading - or UK. There's av ery high risk, as benefits changes, EE picks up, etc etc, that you'll see the town empty out. And now the fun starts - https://www.ons.gov.uk/visualisations/censuspopulationchange/E06000038/ In Reading, the population size has increased by 11.9%, from around 155,700 in 2011 to 174,200 in 2021. This is higher than the overall increase for England (6.6%), where the population grew by nearly 3.5 million to 56,489,800. Beaten by Tower Hamlets, another area of high skilled, hard working people ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dryrot Posted August 23, 2022 Share Posted August 23, 2022 On 03/02/2022 at 08:02, spyguy said: Wokingham isnt Reading. Unless you get into one of th two (only 2) good schools - see earlier in this thread- then you want to avoid schooling your kids in Reading. Wokingham is a far far better bet, avoiding both the underachieving hell of Rdg to the Est and Bracknell to the West. Wokingham is just very boring, congested (mainly of the above) and getting more n expensive and slower to get anywhere with jobs. A miserable sign 'o the times.... I get the regular "come-on-value-and-sell-with-us" adverts from the local EAs. This week I got one from Foxtons(!) - first time - I suppose they have "willing buyers" in London... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spyguy Posted September 19, 2022 Share Posted September 19, 2022 On 28/11/2018 at 15:15, Doner Kebab said: Well I've lived here all my life and can confirm that it is indeed an overpriced, overpopulated dump. I've watched it getting worse and worse over the years. It's so busy that even going to a supermarket on a Tuesday afternoon is a traumatic experience. There are more and more HMO's springing up as well because the younger generation generally just can't afford the rent. As for the M4 and surrounding roads....please. And the new build estates popping up everywhere, they are are stacked so close it is like a brick orgy. You have to admit the ones by the roundabout at junction 11 are eye poppingly shocking. On 30/11/2018 at 19:44, spyguy said: The comments were at the top of tripadvisor. Big shopping centres are spaced 50-100 miles , population depending. Starting West, youve Bristol Cribb (cornwall, devon, glous). Soton West Quay (dorset wilts hants) Reading Oracle (oxford, thames val, m4, west of london) Blue water (east london essex) Any shopping centre , old or new, between these centres will be destroyed. Basingstoke has had a town centre refurb. Itll fail. Bracknells centre redevelopment, which goes back to the 80s, is too little too late. Itll fail. https://www.readingchronicle.co.uk/news/20860984.oracle-restaurants-put-at-risk-475-home-proposal/ A number of restaurants in Reading could be ‘at risk’ to make way for the town’s biggest shopping centre to be redeveloped. This summer, a consultation was launched on a proposal to transform part of The Oracle, adding 475 apartments, ‘co-working space’ and new leisure facilities. For that to happen, the building south of the Kennet would have to be demolished, and the one north of it would be partly demolished. https://www.readingchronicle.co.uk/news/21848232.speculation-reading-100-flats-plan-playing-field/ Neighbours in East Reading are beginning to speculate about what has happened to a possible plan to build 100 homes on a current playing field. The Morgan Road Playing Field is currently owned by Reading School, a selective grammar school for boys in Erleigh Road. The field in Morgan Road is used for football and other outdoor sports. But in late 2020, Reading School began a consultation on selling part of it to fund enhanced indoor sporting facilities and improved pitches, including a 3G pitch at the Morgan Road site. https://www.readingchronicle.co.uk/news/21389133.tough-talk-reading-apart-hotel-conversion-flats/ A top councillor had some stern words to say about a plan to convert shorter stay ‘apart-hotel’ rooms into permanent homes near Reading town centre. At a recent meeting, councillors were discussing the scheme, which involves converting 44 ‘apart-hotel’ rooms into apartments at 12-18 Crown Street. The scheme was due to be approved at the meeting, but it received criticism over the lack of affordable housing and provision of amenity space for future occupants. Councillor Tony Page (Labour, Abbey) led the charge, talking tough over affordable housing, with developers Shall Do Crown Street Limited supplying a ‘viability report’ arguing that it would be financially unviable to provide affordable units All the shops, empty offices, old pubs, huts if green space are being build on to create 1000s of HMOs n bedsits. No jobs, no shops. Just lots of people on benefits. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spyguy Posted November 7, 2022 Share Posted November 7, 2022 On 18/04/2019 at 09:33, spyguy said: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-47967766 Cross rail delayed. Again. The more crossrail is delayed, the more itll cost, the higher rates and higher ticket prices will be, the higher the price differential needs to be, between London and Reading. Crossrail finances are designed to cover the costs thru business rate levies and ticket prices. i.e. put the costs where the benefits accrue, rather than taxing someone in South Sheilds, wo's never been on train. Communting costs rise, London house prices falling ... large falls needed to keep the Reading differential. On 18/04/2019 at 19:01, spyguy said: Yeah. Itll be really ffing annoyed rail soon. And its goignto be touch n go if Lizzy is still alive for the opening. Well... saw ontelly that theyve just done the first direct to London trip https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-63516248 https://www.getreading.co.uk/news/reading-berkshire-news/elizabeth-line-expands-services-reading-25444347 Queen Liz didnt live long enough. However .... with covid bringing forward WFH a good 10y thign have changed. How the pandemic transformed Britain’s commuter towns Hybrid working and recouped travel time are giving a lasting boon to the economies, ambitions and even infrastructure of satellite communities https://www.ft.com/content/c50a4323-c913-440c-8efe-f9d9fd6ea6a6 Being under 60min to commute is no longer a big plus when your only doing 1 day a week or fortnight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Homeless Millionaire Posted December 15, 2022 Share Posted December 15, 2022 Ah well, you can lead a horse to water.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spyguy Posted April 5 Share Posted April 5 Rare post here. https://www.theregister.com/2023/04/05/microsoft_ditches_plans_for_500000/ According to React News, Microsoft's office tenancy in Reading is coming to an end in 2026 so senior management were eyeing up other options They are off. Theyll get a smaller London site. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will! Posted April 5 Share Posted April 5 Just now, spyguy said: Rare post here. https://www.theregister.com/2023/04/05/microsoft_ditches_plans_for_500000/ According to React News, Microsoft's office tenancy in Reading is coming to an end in 2026 so senior management were eyeing up other options They are off. Theyll get a smaller London site. Or Cambridge? Microsoft Research seems pretty big there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spyguy Posted April 5 Share Posted April 5 2 minutes ago, Will! said: Or Cambridge? Microsoft Research seems pretty big there. Different set up/people. If I was to draw a line Thames valley as was .I'd say WorldCom, where they built the HQ in 2000ish, never to occupy it as they went bust. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skintagain Posted June 15 Share Posted June 15 I think there is a new London Rail extension in Reading , that said I remember 1981 £14000 could buy you a 2 bed terraced house in Cemetery Junction or Oxford road must be £260k now ... The 29 min train to Paddington forced prices up ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spyguy Posted 1 hour ago Share Posted 1 hour ago Reading, like all the grubby London satellite towns, is chockablock with io btlers. https://www.itv.com/news/meridian/2023-07-04/homeowner-has-nowhere-left-to-turn-as-her-mortgage-payment-is-set-to-triple A homeowner from Reading says feels she has nowhere to turn, as her mortgage payments are set to triple. Donna Williams' payment for her buy-to-let mortgage for her property in central Reading is set to rise by £800. Because of cladding issues, she has to stay with her current provider when her deal runs out at the end of this month. Donna says she is being offered a two-year fixed-rate which would cost her an extra £800 a month or she can move to a standard variable but that would cost her an extra £1500 a month. Donna Williams is among many across the Thames Valley facing the same problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spyguy Posted 1 hour ago Share Posted 1 hour ago On 15/06/2023 at 05:42, Skintagain said: I think there is a new London Rail extension in Reading , that said I remember 1981 £14000 could buy you a 2 bed terraced house in Cemetery Junction or Oxford road must be £260k now ... The 29 min train to Paddington forced prices up ... Done this. The time for Rdg to Pton is about the same. You just get to stay on same train. No toilet mind. The problems are - One, you've got to get to the Station. Roads around the Station are gridlocked. Two, it's expensive. Three, move from 5day offices meansyou can live further away and pod hotel London. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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