Public consultations will soon start as plans to build homes on the Slough Basin site alongside the canal take a step nearer to becoming reality.

Slough Borough Council and Morgan Sindall Investments have teamed up to build 220 apartments and 20 houses on the Slough Basin site – the terminus of the Slough Arm of the Grand Union Canal.

For decades the canal has been hidden behind the Travis Perkins builders yard on Stoke Road - neglected until its recent clean up by the Canal & River Trust. Now Slough Urban Renewal - the name given to the joint council, Morgan Sindall partnership - has bought the land to unlock the site and Travis Perkins is moving to Dover Road.

SUR is working with Waterside Places and the refurbishment of the Slough Basin area will include the towpath and part of Bowyer Field which is owned by the council. The new homes will be surrounded by public open space in the reinvigorated park and alongside the canal. SUR also plan a shop, café and community hub overlooking the canal.

Andy Howell, general manager of SUR, said: “Our proposals will create a community, retain the same amount of public space and improve access to the waterway to encourage new activity in this area.”

Councillor Zaffar Ajaib, Commissioner for Housing and Urban Renewal, said “This is all about place making, for many years our aspiration has been to turn the canal basin into something usable and attractive – and with the SUR proposals we can do this.”

SUR will be developing its proposals in 2017 and public consultation as part of the planning process will commence in 2017