FIVE derelict railway arches in Windsor are set to see a new lease of life as part of a £200m development scheme.
Units 25-26, 27-28, 29-30, 55, and 57 off Alma Road by Windsor and Eton Central station will see a £500,000 investment from the Arch Company, which is the largest landlord of small businesses in the country, as part of project 1000.
This scheme involves investing £200m in order to bring a thousand empty and derelict spaces into use by 2030 and create space for 1,000 businesses, supporting approximately 5,000 jobs and adding to the estimated 25,000 people already employed in arch businesses.
The Arch Company purchased 5,200 rental spaces from Network Rail in 2019. It became responsible for 74 arches in the Royal Borough since then, with the majority occupied by small independent businesses.
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The Windsor arches units will be transformed into useful spaces for local businesses and create up to 25 new jobs. The works will be completed by the end of this year.
The arches are already home to some local businesses, such as M&T Engineering, which is a small, family-run mechanic that has been in the arches for over 50 years, set at 31 and 32 Alma Road. The award-winning business said it is looking forward to welcoming a host of new neighbours to the arches, after seeing the benefits of improvement in developing Windsor Royal Station during the course of their tenancy.
Council leader Andrew Johnson and deputy leader Samantha Rayner said in a joint statement: “We are delighted that The Arch Company have chosen to make this significant investment into Windsor.
“These iconic arches form an integral part of the visitor gateway to the town, and we are very pleased that they are being enhanced and improved, as well as providing the opportunity for the creation of up to 25 new jobs for the local area.”
The Arch Company lettings manager Nick Vaile said: “This is a prime location for businesses to rent in Windsor, being close to the railway station, King Edward shopping centre, the river and parking facilities.
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“There is ample opportunity for all types of businesses to succeed here.
“We anticipate that interest and demand will be strong, and I would encourage any interested businesses to get in touch.”
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