Slough Council to vote on leisure centre site sell off

Published by

Sam Pither

Horlicks Quarter Exterior CGIs

Slough Borough Council is expected to accept a bid on the site of a former leisure centre which has planning permission for more than 200 homes.

The council was advised to sell the Montem Leisure Centre site at a sub-committee meeting last Thursday (13 October). The authority is currently trying to raise money following its bankruptcy declaration last year, after reporting a budgetary “black hole” of £480 million and owing around £680 million in loans.

According to the Slough & South Bucks Observer, details of the buyer and bid are currently confidential, but the authority has received a bid in excess of £13.5 million.

Slough Urban Renewal, formed of a partnership between Slough Borough Council and Muse Developments, received planning permission last year for 212 homes on the site, with 20 per cent being designated affordable housing.

Cllr Rob Anderson, lead member for financial oversight and council assets, said: “I think it’s the right thing to do now in the current situation. We have at least achieved some increase in value from the site by the work that has been done to get it through to planning and, in the current situation, it’s better for us to take the bird in the hand, as it were, and sell the site now.

“Somebody else could potentially make a considerable profit out of it but could potentially take the risk of not doing that. So, we’re not in that risk business anymore.

“It makes sense that we move it on and use the welcome money to reduce our borrowing.”

Sam Pither

Sam is the Regional Editor of Biz News, responsible for both Hampshire and Dorset. A new recruit to journalism, Sam started writing for the Business Magazine as a freelancer in May of 2022 after completing his degree in English at University College London. His passion for local businesses and ability to tell a story soon caught the attention of the publication’s management team and have led to his meteoric rise. Sam, who lives in central Reading, takes a particular interest in technology, gaming and food and drink, having been a chef before starting his degree.