Latest news with #DexterSmith
BBC News
2 days ago
- Automotive
- BBC News
Queensmere car park in Slough set to permanently close
A shopping centre car park is set to permanently Car Park in Slough will close on 23 June because it no longer "aligns with modern parking standards", Queensmere Observatory Shopping Centre said in an shopping centre currently has two car parks - Queensmere, which has 575 spaces, and the Observatory, which has centre said the Observatory Car Park would remain "fully open and operational" for shopping centre users. In a statement, the shopping centre said: "Following a recent operational review, it was determined that the car park no longer meets the expectations of today's shoppers or aligns with modern parking standards."As such, the decision has been made to close the car park to ensure the highest level of service for our visitors." The centre is currently in the process of being sold by its owner, the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA).Plans to demolish the sites and redevelop them for homes, businesses and shops were approved by Slough Borough Council in January, council leader Dexter Smith said the shopping centre would likely stay open after the sale."While the Observatory and Queensmere centres are likely to be sold together, the former is almost certain to continue operating as a shopping centre," he said."This will allow existing retail from Queensmere to be concentrated around it, maximising its commercial performance while enabling the demolition of the latter." You can follow BBC Berkshire on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
BBC News
19-02-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Slough Borough Council 'should be at centre' of new merger
A council should be at the "centre" of any potential merger, one of its leading councillors has Borough Council is looking at a range of options to merge with other councils under a major government-led could potentially merge with a west London borough, with other councils in Berkshire, or could be part of a Thames Valley-wide strategic Manku, a senior member of Slough Borough Council, said he wanted the authority to be a leading part of what might follow. The authority is hundreds of millions of pounds in debt and recently put its former HQ up for sale in an effort to claw back Manku said: "My doubts are, in Slough we are a unique borough with a diverse population, young population, proximity to Heathrow, a great trading estate."He said the area had "a very good history of industrialisation, innovation and development". He added: "We need to take advantage of that and ensure we are at the centre of any unitary authority or strategic authority we go for."My fear is that with our critical problems or issues we have, like the debt issue, and the health inequalities issue."These are the issues we need to tackle when we negotiate with other authorities." Multiple options In December the government announced plants for councils to combine forces as part of large strategic authorities, in an effort to strengthen local would have a combined population of at least 1.5m people, and be in charge of large-scale transport, infrastructure, and so-called smaller principle authorities would be responsible for more localised public services and would cover populations of at least 500,000 Borough Council's cabinet heard of multiple options at a meeting on included a merger with a west London borough or boroughs, but also with Windsor and Maidenhead and Bracknell Forest leaders in Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire, and Swindon have also met to consider whether they could join up under a new strategic leader Dexter Smith said changes could help his authority's "very sizable economic base".He added that talks would not take place "behind closed doors" as residents would be consulted on proposed changes, and councillors would get a chance to debate them. You can follow BBC Berkshire on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
