Regenerating Slough: How Horlicks Quarter is Bringing the Town’s Future Vision to Life

When a town attracts a highly respected, award-winning housing developer, it often signals more than simply the delivery of new homes. It marks the start of a broader regeneration story: renewed confidence, rising expectations and a sense of momentum that reshapes how a place is perceived, experienced and invested in.

In Slough, that story is clearly visible in the transformation of the former Horlicks Factory by Berkeley Homes. Now known as Horlicks Quarter, the site has been reimagined as a high-quality residential neighbourhood that carefully blends heritage with contemporary living. In doing so, it has set a new benchmark for regeneration in the borough and demonstrated what patient, long-term investment can achieve.

Horlicks Quarter: regeneration in action

Berkeley Homes acquired the Horlicks Factory site in 2018, with construction beginning in May 2020. The first residents moved in during 2022, and the community gathered real momentum following the completion of Phase One, which delivered 550 homes in 2025.

While the scheme was initially expected to appeal mainly to young professionals, attracted by excellent rail connections into central London, the diversity of buyers has been striking. Residents include older people downsizing, local people keen to stay in Slough, and young families looking for high-quality new homes. This broad mix has helped create a balanced, resilient and genuinely thriving community.

Maddi Mills, Assistant Land Manager at Berkeley Homes, says: “Berkeley Homes’ decision to invest in Slough was a clear vote of confidence from the outset. Delivering the scheme in stages allowed us to work closely with the council, celebrating key milestones and engaging the local community throughout. That success and the strong community involvement has helped demonstrate to other developers and investors that this is a thriving site and town.

“Through the Horlicks Quarter we’ve changed Slough’s narrative, creating a place where people want to live, visit and stay. While Slough’s strengths are well known, from its proximity to Heathrow and the Elizabeth line to its concentration of major HQs, we’ve also focused on supporting local businesses, so investment directly benefits local people, driving growth and encouraging further investment.”

The support of local enterprises has been central to that success. A notable example is the on-site nursery, run by a Slough resident and supported by the council to grow sustainably. This approach to nurturing local entrepreneurship has delivered tangible benefits for residents while strengthening the wider community.

This commitment is further reflected in the presence of Honesty, a much-loved café group based across Berkshire and Hampshire, which has opened within The Factory. By welcoming an established business with strong local roots, Berkeley Homes has created a vibrant social space that brings people together while supporting independent operators. 

The development has also enabled some residents to move from renting into home ownership through the shared ownership element of the scheme. That transition reflects the strength of the place Berkeley Homes has created and the value residents place on committing to their long-term future at Horlicks Quarter.

Phase Two is now under way and will introduce the first Build to Rent homes within the development, broadening housing choice further. These homes are due to be ready for occupation in September, with a further 200 apartments scheduled for completion in summer 2027. The final phase is expected to be delivered in 2030/31.

Pat Hayes, Executive Director of Housing, Property and Regeneration at Slough Borough Council, says: “The momentum started from the Horlicks Quarter has attracted further investment, supporting our town centre and creating opportunities for residents. By working in partnership with organisations like Berkeley Homes and Homes England, we are shaping neighbourhoods that are sustainable, inclusive and designed around the needs of our communities, ensuring Slough continues to move forward with confidence.”

Designing a town centre for the future

Building on the success of Horlicks Quarter, Berkeley Homes is now progressing plans for the regeneration of the Queensmere shopping centre in the heart of Slough. With the breaking of ground on the imminent horizon, the reimagining represents a significant next chapter for the phased development of the town centre with potential completion by 2039.

The vision includes up to 1,600 new homes alongside retail, leisure and entertainment spaces, landscaped courtyards and improved pedestrian routes. The ambition is to reimagine Slough as a greener, more integrated town centre, with public spaces that celebrate its rich history of innovation.

Plans include a new Central Park and a reimagined Herschel Square to commemorate astronomer William Herschel. Phase One will also deliver a new food, beverage and leisure hub within the town square, alongside a residential quarter with smaller retail units aimed at independent operators. Together, these elements will create a hybrid town centre that blends homes, culture, commerce and leisure with the familiarity of a traditional high street.

Regeneration, reimagined

This new wave of development reflects a shift in how regeneration is being approached in Slough. It is no longer simply about delivering housing or retail space, but about creating places that respond to how people want to live today.

That means sustainable homes within walkable neighbourhoods, supported by green space, local amenities and opportunities to connect, work and socialise. Regeneration is being shaped as a long-term investment in quality of life as much as in physical infrastructure.

A strong example of this thinking is emerging through plans for the North West Quadrant (NWQ), the former Thames Valley University site being brought forward in partnership with Homes England. Located on a nine-acre site at the heart of the town centre, NWQ offers the opportunity to unlock underused land and deliver a new mixed-use neighbourhood aligned with Slough’s long-term vision to 2040.

Rather than a single-use development, NWQ is being shaped as a dynamic place to live, work and connect. Early proposals include around 1,500 new homes alongside workspaces, retail, restaurants, cultural and community facilities, all integrated with high-quality public realm and green spaces designed for everyday life.

Community engagement sits at the heart of the approach. Working with Homes England, the project team is committed to ensuring NWQ reflects Slough’s character, heritage and ambitions. From flexible commercial space for local businesses to future-proofed, sustainable buildings and a genuine mix of tenures, the aim is to deliver a neighbourhood that feels inclusive, lived-in and resilient from the outset.

Live, work and connect

As early regeneration projects – led by Horlicks Quarter – mature and new ones come forward, Slough is being repositioned as a connected, forward-looking place to live, work and invest – an inclusive, multi-cultural and dynamic town driven by collaboration, confidence and a shared long-term vision.

View and download Slough’s Regeneration Vision