Shopping centre to town centre: redevelopment proposals for Maidenhead in Berkshire

Published on 11 June 2020

In just over 12 months since purchasing The Nicholsons Shopping Centre, Tikehau Capital and Areli Real Estate along with JTP have today submitted comprehensive regeneration plans that will transform the outdated 1970’s single-use shopping centre into a new, vibrant, mixed-use quarter.

The project is one of the first ‘shopping centre to town centre’ regeneration initiatives in the UK, designed specifically to address the changing landscape of high streets in our towns and cities.

The ground-breaking, people-focussed, mixed-use project will bring together several hundred new homes, workspace for over 2,000 thousand people, over 60 new flexible shops and restaurants that will be carefully curated and redefine the central core, breathing a new lease of life into this historic Thames Valley town.

High-quality, new buildings will enclose and define over 1.5 acres of new, open public realm in a more traditional urban form, reinstating the original streets and spaces lost by the development of the old shopping centre. Central to the plan will be the creation of ‘Sir Nicholas Winton Square,’ named by local residents in honour of Sir Nicholas’ extraordinary act of bravery during the Second World War.

The development proposals have come after considerable ‘Think Maidenhead’ research and the largest public engagement ever undertaken in the borough. Led by placemaking and masterplanning specialists, JTP, several thousand people, including many schools and colleges, took part in multiple workshops and hands-on planning. The commitment to proactive and participatory engagement will carry on after the application with a dedicated website and smartphone app where the community can continue to provide input.

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After extensive engagement with the local community, we are very proud to have submitted these proposals for the comprehensive regeneration of central Maidenhead. These exciting plans will bring widespread benefits to the Town whether it is as a place to live, work, shop or simply enjoy. We certainly appreciated that this is a once in a lifetime opportunity and we need to create a place for many generations to come.

Rob Tincknell, Areli Real Estate Partner

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We are grateful to be part of this first “shopping centre to town centre” urban regeneration plan in the UK that will create a vibrant living environment where there’s something happening at all times of the day, every day of the week through the creation of a mixed-use quarter.

Peter Cirenza, Head of Tikehau Capital in the UK

The Nicholson Quarter development will join a number of other significant improvements in the Town being proactively led by the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead. Together with opening of Crossrail in mid-2022, the prospects for Maidenhead are considered very positive.

Read the latest coverage from The Times here.

Related Projects

Community
Planning

The Nicholson Quarter,
Maidenhead, UK

New Urban Quarter
Stage: Hybrid Planning Application