Slough High Street: 99 flats plan to be decided next week

Three businesses on 277-279 High Street could be torn down for a seven-storey building to the front and a 13-storey building to the rear to provide 99 apartments and two ground floor commercial units with 39 car parking spaces and bin store.

The flats consist of 32 studio flats, seven one-beds, and 60 two-bedroom apartments. The two proposed shops are said to be ‘financial service units’.

No. 277 High Street comprises a restaurant, Haveli’s, on the ground and first floor, and a small residential unit. No. 279 High Street comprises a carpet shop on the ground floor and offices on the first floor.

READ MORE: Bins 'overflow' across Slough amid 'severe staffing issues'

The applicant known as Mr. Harjit Singh of Opus Homes LTD will have his outline plans heard at a Slough planning committee next Wednesday, meaning it seeks if councillors agree with the development in principle.

Only matters relating to access, layout, and scale are to be considered at this stage.

The rear of the 13-storey building

But planning officers have recommended councillors to reject this scheme, believing the proposed buildings are “too heavy, poorly proportioned, and out of scale” compared with neighbouring buildings, resulting in an “awkward” feature within the High Street.

The loss of the existing businesses in favour of two ‘financial service units’ would cause a “significant detrimental impact” on the viability and vitality of the town centre.

READ MORE: Sainsbury's on Farnham Road, Slough, set to close later this month

They also say the scheme proposes no affordable housing and some of the flats will not have enough natural light coming through. The proposed buildings will also affect neighbouring property’s obtaining natural light.

Planning officers took concern over the applicant ‘failing to demonstrate’ how adequate fire safety provisions will be laid out.