High Street flats plan approved

Slough: Affordable housing cash offer slammed

Fresh plans have been approved to build flats in Slough High Street above the JD Sports and Poundland stores despite claims they are a ‘slap in the face’ to the council.

Applicant Slough Property 2 Limited previously had plans for 63 apartments at the site approved in May 2021, but has come back with revised plans for 46 flats.

These latest proposals were debated by members of Slough Borough Council’s planning committee on Tuesday at Observatory House in Windsor Road.

Developers want to construct a three storey roof extension and convert the first and second floor to provide residential units.

They also want to reprovision the two retail units on the ground floor, although the two stores will still be able to continue trading.

There will be cycle parking, refuse storage, a roof garden and upgrades to the high street as part of the application.

The developer has submitted a viability assessment which explains why it cannot provide any affordable housing –- and instead it has offered £25,000 towards off-site affordable housing provision.

Cllr Haqeeq Dar (Lab, Wexham Lea) said: “The developer has gone and offered £25,000, which is a slap on Slough Borough Council’s face.

“That is how I feel.

That £25,000 is nothing.”

Cllr Pavitar Mann (Lab, Britwell and Northbrough) also blasted the scheme’s ‘shameful’ offering of affordable homes.

The developer is also behind the redevelopment of the former Slough River Island clothes store.

“I realise the quality [the applicant] has brought into the town centre, but that does mean they now have 70 units in the town centre with no contribution to affordable housing,” she said.

“It is shameful that the national rules allow this but we have to follow [them].”

Planning officers countered that viability assessments are ‘not uncommon’ as the council seeks to negotiate offers at the developer’s expense.

Both planning officers and meeting chairman Cllr Martin Carter (Lab, Britwell and Northborough) urged members they had to follow latest policies when deciding this application.

“Your frustrations are noted but we need to be mindful of the fact that we are within a national policy strategy,” Cllr Carter said.

Members on the committee also raised concerns about parking with the latest plans, with Cllr Satbal Parmar (Lab, Cippenham Meadows) calling the offer of five spaces ‘meagre’.

“The axe always falls on parking. You go into the High Street and there is not any space to park,” he said. “So this is another burden coming on parking again.”

These concerns were echoed by Cllr Chandra Muvvala (Con, Langley Kedermister) who added: “We know the reality, there are so many issues with traffic in Slough. What is the value we are adding here as a councillor?

“How are they [residents] going to commute? They have to buy a car, where are they going to park?”

Officers said the ‘significant benefits’ of housing provision outweigh ‘the identified impacts’ and the proposal ‘should be regarded as sustainable development’.

Eight councillors voted in favour of officer recommendations to approve the scheme, with Cllr Dar abstaining.