More than 100 flats coming to replace Slough offices

Beacon House is a three-storey office building with separate temporary stay apartments called ‘The Foyer’ on the same site.

The building is located in Stoke Road, within 10 minutes walk of Slough train station.

But now is set for demolition as developers London & Quadrant (L&Q) have won permission to knock it down and replace it with 116 apartments contained in one new building.

When finished, the apartment block will stand eight storeys tall, and contain 63 two-bed, 48 one-bed and five three-bed apartments.

Of the 116 flats provided, approximately 40 units (34 per cent) will be designated affordable.

Beacon House currently serves as L&Qs offices and The Foyer was a 64-bed homeless shelter until operations ceased in 2016.

Beacon House at 50 Stoke Road, Slough. Credit: MEPK Architects

Justifying the project, a planning agent from the firm Iceni argued that L&Q is developing ‘modern ways of working’ that no longer require sizeable office space, with a large amount of Beacon House being unused and in need of major modernisation.

The planning agent said: “The existing facilities at the Beacon House & The Foyer are considered to be sub-standard, disused and out of date.

“L&Q are seeking to redevelop the site and make better use of this site, creating a high quality mixed tenure development supporting Slough Borough Council’s growth ambitions for this area including much needed affordable housing.”

The council approved the development at a planning meeting in December 2020.

But in order for the project to go ahead, L&Q needed to sign a section 106 legal agreement with the council to determine financial contributions towards affordable housing, education and sustainable transport in Slough.

As part of the agreement, L&Q will pay a total of £371,580 to fund education at every level.

A CGI of the street view of the approved plan to replace Beacon House at 50 Stoke Road, Slough with 116 apartments. Credit: MEPK Architects

The development will also provide 51 car parking spaces, with 41 of these being located on-site and the remaining 10 arising once an upgraded access road is established.

As part of the S106 legal agreement, two of the 41-bay car park spaces will be dedicated to a Slough car club, with an electric vehicle charging point installed to service a provided car.

L&Q has agreed to pay £59,000 to install the charger and operate the car club.

The agreement was finally signed on Tuesday, May 7.

You can view the approved application by typing reference P/06964/016 into the council’s planning website.

Speaking when the project was approved in 2020, councillor Pavitar Kaur Mann (Labour, Britwell) called L&Q “a trusted, dependable applicant with a track record” of delivery and sound management.

The replacement apartment building for Beacon House and The Foyer will be similar in size to the neighbouring Vanburgh Court, which was completed in 2019.