2014

SU6452 : Grand looking but vacant (2014)

taken 10 years ago, near to Basingstoke, Hampshire, England

Grand looking but vacant (2014)
Grand looking but vacant (2014)
Dubbed the “Dallas of Hampshire” in the late 1970s, because of the concentration of high rise buildings, Basing View grew to become a symbol of the new growth of specialist business districts in the UK.
It is Basingstoke's principal central office location covering approximately 65 acres of land lying directly east of the town centre. At the time of writing Basing View has about 1.3 million square feet of office accommodation employing in the region of 5000 people. Major companies located in Basing View include the AA, Thales, Shoosmiths, Sun Life, Unum Provident, Penningtons Solicitors and Clydesdale Bank.
In 2011 the local council have started on an ambitious plan for regenerating Basing View. The first phase involves the demolition of two vacant 1970s 10 storey office blocks - City Wall House and Loddon House. To quote the council “They are now beyond their economic life and have come to symbolise the pressing need to improve the areas image”.
Perhaps if they had tenants it would not have been an issue. What I fail to understand is why the council think that this will help the area. At present there are at least seven other vacant office blocks. Are these “now beyond their economic life” and also ready for demolition?

UPDATE: late in 2014 work started at the town centre end on building a new John Lewis and landscaping an area once occupied by a pub known as The Castle.

UPDATE: 2021, many offices have been refurbished, another knocked down, as well as a new hotel built, but there are still few new tenants.

See other images of Basing View

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SU6452, 1421 images   (more nearby 🔍)
Photographer
Mr Ignavy   (more nearby)
Date Taken
Friday, 9 May, 2014   (more nearby)
Submitted
Tuesday, 29 July, 2014
Subject Location
OSGB36: geotagged! SU 6414 5242 [10m precision]
WGS84: 51:16.0401N 1:4.9223W
Camera Location
OSGB36: geotagged! SU 6407 5240
View Direction
East-northeast (about 67 degrees)
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Image classification(about): Geograph
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