well as other smaller shops. The precinct opened in 1967, and a survey in 2012 revealed that the public thought the site had become run-down and required modernisation. In 2015 a planning application was submitted to Reading Borough Council by a developer who plans to renovate the site. Branches of Beefeater and Harvester-owned public houses are in Southcote; the latter in the former Prospect Park mansion. A third pub, The George and Dragon, is located at the westernmost extreme of Southcote, and is owned by Greene King and operated as a Hungry Horse outlet. The Southcote Service Station is an Esso petrol filling station and Tesco Express convenience store, adjacent to which is a Nissan dealership. Culture and community In the years following the Second World War, Southcote hosted a number of community events on Denton's Field. Many of these fêtes included grasstrack motorcycle racing events, which were held in 1947, 1948 and 1949. Speedway stars Bill Kitchen and George Wilks raced at Southcote in 1949 for a Conservative Party fête. The field was also used in 1949 for a gymkhana and a church fundraising fête. Southcote holds an annual May fayre in Coronation Square; the 2015 event was organised by community groups from local churches and community centres. The event focuses on cuisine, live music and children's entertainment. The Reading branch of the Kennet and Avon Canal Trust meet at Southcote for talks and meetings, and undertake maintenance work on the canal through the Southcote area. Public services Southcote is within Thames Valley Police's catchment, and is grouped as a neighbourhood with Norcot. Residents identified nuisance and illegal parking and excessive speed as of concern in the area, as well as the antisocial use of mini motos, quad bikes and motorcycles on the Kennet towpath. Measures to alleviate nuisance parking were introduced in early 2015 with a ban on parking on the road verge. In June 2015, signs were installed on the lane to Southcote Mill to warn motorcycle users of their prohibition on that right of way. The majority of reported crime in Southcote is categorised as either violent or sexual attacks, where 46 incidents of this nature were reported in June 2015 within a radius of Coronation Square. The highest concentration of crime occurs near the service station on the A4 road. Neighbourhood liaison sessions (known as "Have Your Say" meetings) are held in Coronation Square. A