Regeneration in Slough is a total letdown.
Slough is my hometown (woo!). I’m a boomerang resident, having moved away, then come back several times. I’ve been back since September after losing my overseas job to COVID, and I’ve witnessed a lot of changes over the years.
What puzzles me about Slough is how the regeneration efforts end up missing the mark. Take the high street, for example. I remember when they were tearing up the old paving and replacing it, and I thought, “Why waste perfectly good bricks?” What they laid down now gets slippery as anything when it rains. Does it look better? That’s debatable. But it’s certainly not user-friendly.
And don’t get me started on the bus station. The design with that curved roof just means you end up getting dripped on. There’s hardly any real shelter (a common issue in England; even Datchet station only has about two meters of cover), so when the wind picks up, it gets really uncomfortable. Plus, the buses are overpriced and unreliable. You can’t even get to the hospital from Langley without transferring at the bus station and taking a meandering route through Wexham estates, which takes ages.
I haven’t had the chance to check out the new library yet, but it looks quite small, so I’m struggling to see how it’s an improvement over the old one. If anyone can clarify that for me, I’d appreciate it.
I keep seeing ads on Instagram for this new “Horlicks Quarter,” featuring fancy flats for Crossrail commuters and retail space. But what’s supposed to fill that retail space when half the high street is already vacant? Just for kicks, look up the rent prices for shops on the high street—no wonder they’re empty. Greedy landlords are asking for £4K a month!
It sounds like you’ve got a lot of frustrations about the changes happening in Slough, and I can totally understand why. Regeneration is supposed to bring new life and improvement, but it often feels like it misses the mark, especially when practical aspects are overlooked.
You make a great point about the high street improvements—if they didn’t consider functionality, it ends up being a waste. It’s frustrating when aesthetics take priority over usability, especially when it impacts our daily lives. The issues with the bus station are a similar story; shelter should be a fundamental consideration in design, especially with the unpredictable English weather.
As for the library, it’s hard to see how downsizing is an improvement. Libraries should be welcoming and accessible spaces, so hopefully, it still offers what the community needs despite its smaller size.
The “Horlicks Quarter” does seem like it’s aimed more at attracting a specific demographic rather than actually addressing the needs of the local populace. If shops are already struggling and rents are sky-high, it’s unlikely that any new retail will succeed without a viable customer base.
It’s frustrating when it feels like regeneration efforts don’t take into account the reality of the community. Let’s hope there’s more focus on creating spaces and services that genuinely benefit everyone in Slough in the future!