From Vision to Delivery: How Slough Is Turning Placemaking into Investment Confidence

The inaugural Slough Developers Forum, hosted at Plus X Innovation on 23 February, brought together investors, developers, civic leaders and leading regional businesses to determine how Slough is translating a progressive vision into tangible delivery.

Across three strategic sessions – investment, placemaking and innovation ­– the discussion was energetic, candid and solutions-driven. While perspectives varied, the consensus was clear: Slough’s next phase of opportunity will be defined by alignment across leadership, planning certainty and a relentless focus on delivery at pace.

Will Tuckley, Chief Executive of Slough Borough Council, set the session’s tone. “We are 100 per cent committed to regeneration and growth. What stands out in Slough is the alignment – across leadership, planning and regeneration. That alignment, alongside our planning framework, is what minimises risk and gives confidence.”

The borough’s experienced leader pointed to Slough’s connectivity – particularly proximity to Heathrow and the transformative impact of Western Rail – as fundamental to long-term economic growth. “In a challenging national market,” he asserted, “transport-led growth remains a powerful draw for future investment.”

Slough’s transport nodes, alongside the town centre location of Royal Mail and BT sites, and Colnbrook – as Heathrow Runway Three materialises – were noted by Dan Ray, Director of Planning Services & Chief Planning Officer at Slough Borough Council, as amongst the town’s prime investment sites.

“Development at scale is going to happen,” he said. “For a sustainable future, high quality projects are really important; our planning standards reflect this necessity. That requires collaboration – sometimes there can be tension but a partnership approach is what builds a strong engagement, finds solutions to challenges, and deepens the relationship, exemplified by Horlicks Quarter.

Why Slough? Investment Decisions That Stack Up

Freddie Hill, Head of Development at Berkeley Homes set out, during the Forum’s first panel session, why they committed to redevelopment of the Horlicks Quarter a decade ago, and why the case is stronger now. “There’s huge investment potential, a young and growing population, a strong transport connections and historic undersupply of housing,” he said, "Slough is shaping up to be a really great place.”

Horlicks Quarter exemplifies long-term placemaking: restoration of a landmark building, 1,400 homes (up from an initial 700), £40 million invested in heritage restoration, new cycling infrastructure and biodiversity commitments that exceed national requirements. Importantly, many residents are not simply commuters – they have chosen to stay, some progressing from renting to shared ownership.

Fellow panellist, Luis Obregon, regeneration and development strategist, Metro Dynamics, underlined the scale of the town’s pipeline opportunity: “There’s 11 town centre sites in play, 16–19 more broadly, with capacity for up to 5,000 homes over the next five years – 3,000 within the town centre itself. We’ve identified the sites around the train station represent immediate opportunity.”

Placemaking as the Investment Driver

Caroline Crowe, Land and Development director of Berkeley Homes, highlighted, during the intermediate panel session, that 92% of the their sites are developed on brownfield land – regeneration that creates social spaces, biodiversity gains and civic pride. ‘Meanwhile-use’ strategies are designed to avoid long demolition voids and instead create activity and momentum to invigorate residents.

The redevelopment of Queensmere Shopping Centre, in the heart of Slough’s town centre, speaks loudly to the ‘meanwhile’ approach: a generational development, demolition and infrastructure works begins in autumn, with the aim for 350 homes to be delivered within four years – alongside active engagement with young people to understand what will encourage them to stay in Slough.

Dom Unsworth MBE of Resource Productions CIC and Screen Berkshire reminded delegates that wayfinding and culture – music, film and creative industries – are not soft extras, but make towns navigable, memorable and investable. “They are active in Slough – despite not being known by many residents ­– and must be communicated more as they are placemaking handles.”

Skills, Innovation and Local Advantage

Slough’s demographic profile is one of its strongest current and long-term assets: it’s home to one of the youngest and most diverse populations in the country. The Forum’s third and final panel extolled the vitality of Slough’s regeneration being supported by coordinated leadership, skills strategy and workforce planning.

Shanaaz Carroll, Head of Economic Development at Slough Borough Council, stressed the need for upskilling to encourage career development. Only 10 per cent of residents currently access innovation roles, despite 1,000 new SME businesses opening annually. Engagement with SEGRO, the owners of Slough Trading Estate, and supply chain partners aim to broaden that access.

Innovation hubs and collaborative workspaces, as outlined by Toby Kress, Director, Plus X Innovation, play a key role in attracting and retaining talent through sector-agnostic collaboration and after-work activity.

Steve Doyle, Commercial Director of Slough Town Football Club, reflected on long-term sustainability: “Sustainability is about doing what you say you will do – and bringing the community with you.”

Clarity Matters

Facilitated by Toby Fox, the 1.5 Million New Homes project lead, the Forum moved decisively from vision to implementation. If 2025 centred on potential, this year’s mode was delivery: what specific decisions, partnerships and commercial structures are now in place that give investors’ confidence that Slough can move from ambition to implementation, and at pace?

If one theme dominated, it was placemaking. Matthew Battle, MD of UK Property Forums, described it as “vital to create somewhere exciting – it’s not just about homes and jobs.” That sentiment was echoed throughout the day. Placemaking is at the heart of Slough’s commercial regeneration strategy. It attracts investment, new residents and restores pride in place for existing communities.

Neetal Rajput, Group Manager – Planning at Slough Borough Council, endorsed the values-led approach. “It’s not simply about viability, but working collaboratively to find solutions that prioritise accessibility, safety and long-term community benefit, particularly in sensitive contexts such as the Green Belt and alongside major infrastructure projects like the expansion of Heathrow Terminal 3.”

De-Risking in Real Terms

The forum did not shy away from market realities, however. Viability pressures, investor caution and infrastructure constraints remain live issues nationally not only in Slough.

Chris Scott, Development Director of the developer Muse, raised power capacity as a potential challenge: “We can’t wait 10 years for the required volume of power.” Dan Ray responded that Slough does not face specific local power constraints – any issues are part of a broader national context and will be managed over the coming decade.

Freddie Hill emphasised what genuinely reduces risk for investors: “A collaborative local authority, experienced teams, flexibility in policy where appropriate, and a willingness to challenge design constructively,” he said. “The absence of the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) in Slough also materially strengthens viability.”

Put simply: investors want certainty around what stacks up – and where it doesn’t. Slough’s approach is to be clear about both.

Clear Routes to Engagement

Attended by more than 80 individuals from front-running investors, developers and innovative local and regional businesses, the Forum’s practical takeaway was definitively straightforward:

1. There are named open sites and defined investment opportunities.

2. There are clear people within Slough Borough Council to speak to.

3. There are structured routes to engagement – from direct outreach to inception meetings.

Slough’s final collaborative message to the market was simple and forward-looking: the direction of travel is set. The next 24 months are about pace and execution – to advance the reimagined town centred on a clear placemaking vision, underpinned by innovation, skills and sustainability, with the outcome to deliver tangible benefits for today’s residents and future generations.

Slough is Now.