Slough town centre 'shows green shoots of recovery’

Council officers are finalising Section 106 Planning Agreements with ADIA, the owners of Slough’s covered shopping centres – the Queensmere and the Observatory. This adds value to their assets and spreads benefits from their future development along the wider High Street environment.

If you look at what has been happening in recent months, part of the Queensmere is being prepared for re-development, and ADIA have moved some of their tenants from the Queensmere to the Observatory, which is now full and buzzing.

Other businesses have moved out of the Queensmere onto the High Street, with Iceland and JD Sports taking bigger premises in the process. Choice and Barclays Bank have also taken bigger premises, and the really notable point is that they are all staying in Slough.

READ MORE: Slough public drinking ban: police won't say how many fined

Likewise, the eastern end of the High Street – with smaller units and on-street parking – is also fully occupied and buzzing.

The council recently had several bidders offering above the guide price to buy our Upton House property, at that end of the High Street, currently occupied by the DWP/Job Centre. Investor confidence is growing.

I really want to thank Slough BID for taking on the responsibility of managing the town centre and organizing the cleaning of the High Street. This includes deep cleans enhanced by our new SBC litter hit squads, who can be called-out to deal with fly-tipping and persistent problems.

Slough BID are also improving community safety with their Police Support Officers.

They are using new powers that the council has just brought in with its re-launch of a Public Spaces Protection Order borough-wide allowing them, plus the police and PCSOs, to challenge and enforce where there are outbreaks of anti-social behaviour.

Take a fresh look at our town.