Redrow Homes Southern - To the rescue

When Reading fire fighters needed a place to practice emergency procedures and rescue operations they looked no further than Redrow Homes for assistance.

Nine fire fighters from the Whitley Wood Fire Station in Reading used the Imperial Heights site near Bracknell, where Redrow is building new homes as part of the exciting Jennett’s Park development, to rehearse techniques, including rescuing a dummy using Redrow’s crane and ladders from their trucks.

Russell Botting, site manager for Redrow Homes at Imperial Heights says: “We always try to get involved in community issues when we build in an area, and we like to lend a helping hand where we can. Sub Officer Chris Holland and I have been friends since we were young, so when he mentioned to me how difficult it was for his crew to find somewhere to train, I wanted to help out.

“The equipment we had to hand, including the huge crane currently on site, was perfect for the exercise and, as we are only in the early stages of the development there is lots of open space. They were really grateful to have somewhere to practice and we’re just happy to let them.”

“It was great to watch and we were all getting involved – even the photographer wanted to go up in the basket and we all had a go sitting in the truck. It was fun, but we all know it’s also vital they practice so they can perform their jobs properly and it’s reassuring to know that they’re well trained.”

Sub officer Chris Holland says: “Redrow are really great letting us use their facilities like this and it’s very beneficial to us. We don’t have our own cranes to train on but we like to get out there and practice with our kits and equipment as much as possible, so this was really useful to us. Hopefully we’ll be able to link up with Redrow again in the future.”

As one of the major new residential and community projects in Bracknell, Jennett’s Park will include a primary school, doctor’s surgery, 91-acre country park, community centre, commercial area, two public houses and ten play areas for various age-groups.


The development stands out from its competitors because of its large areas of open space – which makes up approximately half of the total area of the site (270 acres) – great for a range of activities, including training fire fighters.

Jennett’s Park is five minutes away from Bracknell and 20 minutes away from Reading. Its location near to the A329 Berkshire Way also gives it easy access to the M3 and M4 – perfect for commuters.

The site is being developed jointly by Redrow Homes (Southern) and Persimmon Homes and will showcase between 1,300 and 1,500 new homes when complete.

For an insight into life at Imperial Heights, visit jennettspark.co.uk or redrow.co.uk.