New plans to replace a long-vacant police station with flats and houses have been given the go-ahead – despite being branded ‘ill thought out’ by one councillor.

Developers Elstree Land wanted permission to demolish the former police station on Langley High Street and replace it with a four-storey block of 29 homes. Slough Borough Council’s planning committee looked into whether to approve the plans at a meeting on Wednesday, July 24.

In a written objection councillor Adil Iftakhar branded the scheme ‘clearly ill thought out’ and said it ‘goes against the fundamental principles of sustainable development'.

Councillor Iftakhar suggested he would elaborate at the meeting on July 24 but did not attend. Planning officers said they had assessed the proposals using local and national planning policy, and that they recommended approval. They said the housing would ‘bring a former redundant site back into use, making the best use of previously developed land’.

READ MORE: Heat concerns raised over AkzoNobel site data centre

Thames Valley Police left the building in 2018. At the time the building was owned by Slough Borough Council, which hoped to develop it into a community hub and affordable housing.

Planning permission for the conversion of the building into homes – including a house of multiple occupation for young adults – was awarded in 2021. But the council had to ditch the plans after going effectively bankrupt in 2022, and is selling off properties to pay off its debts.

It agreed to sell the police station in March this year, and had already been in discussions with Elstree Land about the developers own proposals. Plans say nine of the new homes will be saved for affordable housing.