The Maidenhead regeneration projects that are transforming the Berkshire town
We look at the main regeneration projects that are transforming Maidenhead town centre.
Post-pandemic, we’re entering into a period of rising living costs and all-round financial instability. As such, there’s an understandable amount of uncertainty across many industries and sectors at the moment.
Owners of small to medium-sized businesses are nervously checking their balance sheets, while individuals are concerned about how well matched their incomings and outgoings are. During such a time, it’s reassuring to see large scale development, regeneration and investment.
Maidenhead’s town centre development is a perfect example of this. Hundreds of millions of pounds are being spent to improve the Berkshire town, which can only be a good thing for the people of the local area.
Let’s explore some of the larger projects currently underway, see when they’ll be ready and what impact they’ll likely have on employment opportunities in Maidenhead…
The Nicholson Quarter
Easily the most discussed and anticipated project that’s underway is the work happening in ‘The Nicholson Quarter’ in the very centre of town. Once development is completed, it looks set to change the landscape of Maidenhead forever.
Granted planning consent in early 2021, the project includes the creation of 650 new homes, almost 30,000 square metres of office space, six large retail zones (containing 60 shops and restaurants), 1.5 acres of public space and a sizeable 700-space multi-storey car park. Some buildings are due to be up to 25 storeys high, prompting some locals to brand The Nicholson Quarter ‘Project Maidhattan’.
The site will replace the existing shopping precinct known as The Nicholson Centre and is likely to break ground at the end of this year.
Potential completion date? 2025
Positive impact on jobs in the local area? An estimated 2,700 new jobs
Watermark - York Road
Purely a housing development, this new site will see a further 229 homes of various sizes built for Maidenhead residents. 88 of them will be built as affordable housing.
Potential completion date? The first two blocks have already been completed and developers are hoping the rest are finished by the end of 2022
Positive impact on jobs in the local area? Negligible after construction is complete
St. Cloud Way housing
Another large housing area has been given the go-ahead in Maidenhead town centre, this one with more than 400 one, two and three bedroom apartments due to be built.
The empty Magnet leisure centre site in Holmanleaze is due to be turned into five large residential buildings. The hope being that the complex will effectively 'knit' the town centre with other residential areas and green areas just outside of the town centre.
There’s set to be a healthy mix of traditional private sale flats, shared ownership options and affordable housing. The five buildings are due to range in size from four to eleven storeys high and are set to feature attractive public spaces dotted around them.
Potential completion date? 2025
Positive impact on jobs in the local area? Minimal in the longer term, but it’s good news for local building contractors at the moment
The Landing
Another large-scale building development that’s due to improve Maidenhead town centre comes in the form of ‘The Landing’. Conceptualised as a way of maximising the benefits of TfL’s Crossrail, it’ll see 5,000 square metres of retail use, more than 36 square metres of office space, almost 23,000 square metres of residential use and 150 car parking spaces. All within a 3.5 square acre site.
The work started in December of 2021 and will see 429 flats built on a budget of £155m, all raised from private investors.
Potential completion date? Late 2024
Positive impact on jobs in the local area? In the short term, there will be work for those in construction. Longer term, 38,000 square feet of retail and leisure space surely has to result in a good few hundred new jobs being created. Maybe more when you factor in the office space.
The Waterside Quarter
This development is the third phase of the ‘Chapel Arches’ project which also incorporates the Picturehouse development and Chapel Wharf.
The pandemic caused delays in the project which will see more than 150 luxury apartments built by Shanley Homes, with 14,000 square feet of shops, bars and eateries built into the complex as well.
It’s part of Maidenhead’s Waterways Restoration Project, a charity dedicated to ‘bringing the Thames to town’.
Potential completion date? Mid-2022.
Positive impact on jobs in the local area? Not enormous, but retail space and restaurants should give employment in the immediate area a small boost.
