English Partnerships recently announced that it has submitted an outline planning application for the £400m ‘Heart of Slough’ regeneration project.

The 28.5-acre mixed-use scheme will consist of 365,973 sq ft of office space, a hotel, retail and leisure facilities, a bus station and 1,500 new homes in the town centre, of which 30% will be affordable. Work is expected to begin on the residential element of the development in 2010 and the entire project should be completed by 2018. It is hoped that the ‘Heart of Slough’ will act as a stimulus for further regeneration around the town helping to create up to 8,000 new jobs.

David Ashworth, area director for English Partnerships, told PIN: “Regeneration is about starting something which will benefit an entire community. We hope that the ‘Heart of Slough’ scheme will become a catalyst for change within the town. We expect that investors will be able to take advantage of both the project itself and the positive effect that the regeneration will have on the surrounding area. We are pleased with the progress which is being made. This is a real opportunity to drive Slough forward.”