A bus station has been closed off since a late night blaze caused "hundreds of thousands of pounds" of damage in 2022.

Since the incident, which is being investigated by police as arson, Slough Bus Station on Brunel Way has been cordoned off to the public.

On approaching Slough Borough Council on when work will begin to repair the structure, they confirmed they are still in the process of discussing the issue with insurers.

A Council spokesperson said: “We are close to finalising a settlement with the insurers of the site. 

"Once we have concluded this, we will be in a better position to clarify timescales.”

On October 29, 2022, a fire ripped through the landmark £16million bus station in the early hours of the morning.

Firefighters rushed to Brunel Way in three minutes, but the flames were extensive.

It took firefighters four and a half hours to bring the blaze under control, at which point it was deemed to have seen "heavy damage".

The structure was later closed due to health and safety concerns.

Following the incident, an 18-year-old man from Slough was arrested on suspicion of arson with intent to endanger life.

A 15-year-old girl was arrested a month later under the same charge and both were released on bail.

Previously Slough Borough Council had stated that the structure needs repairs, not rebuilding - which includes recladding and clearing debris.

However, this is said to cost "hundreds of thousands of pounds" as the council look to break the process into two.

  • The ‘head’ – which had minimal damage from the fire, but was unusable due to water and other damage, in particular to the electrics. This phase would reopen the bus company offices, rest rooms for drivers, the shop and public toilet.
  • The ‘tail’ – which took the brunt of the fire damage both in the overhead structure and the bus stops beneath.

Slough Council added: "Following a fire, Slough Bus Station is closed until further notice. All bus routes in Slough are instead using bus stops in Wellington Street, Brunel Way, High Street and Windsor Road."

A spokesperson for Thames Valley Police said: “Following the bus station fire that happened in October 2022 we can confirm that we have carried out an extremely thorough investigation following all reasonable lines of enquiry.

“As such our investigation has now been filed. If any further information comes to light that can assist our investigation we will of course re-open our enquiry.

“A 20-year-old man and a 16-year-old girl have been released with no further action.”