Footbridge by Slough's Tesco superstore to be pulled down

A disused pedestrian footbridge which was built to connect the Tesco superstore with the rest of Slough town centre is set to be torn down.

The walkway, which crosses Wellington Street, was constructed in 2005 to provide greater access for High Street shoppers to the town’s new supermarket.

The footbridge has been closed since November 2022 for health and safety reasons.

In April this year, Slough Borough Council raised concerns with the retail giant about the walkway attracting anti-social behaviour and appearing ‘unsightly’.

A planning application, submitted by Tesco Stores Ltd, has now been approved by the council for the footbridge and staircase tower to be pulled down.

A letter to the council’s planning department said: “Since the construction of the pedestrian footbridge, a signalised pedestrian and cyclist crossing has been introduced across Wellington Street, opposite the store on the western side of Brunel Way.

“The introduction of this grade level crossing means that the footbridge is no longer needed.”

The sun sets over the pedestrian footbridge in Slough town centre

A date for the demolition works is yet to be confirmed but the project is expected to take one week.

Property consultancy firm Montagu Evans, working on behalf of Tesco, said the footbridge needs to be removed as a ‘priority’.

The removal of the bridge will be carried out across one weekend and the affected part of Wellington Street will be closed in both directions while this takes place.

Once the bridge has been removed, the staircase tower on the southern side of Wellington Street will be demolished the following week.

One lane of traffic will remain open in both directions in Wellington Street when this takes place, the planning application said.

The property consultancy firm added that improvements will be made to the public realm in Wellington Street once the staircase tower has been demolished.

This is to prepare for the stalled redevelopment of the Observatory Queensmere Shopping Centre.

“It is clear that the area surrounding the site is proposed for significant change,” the company said.

“The removal of the southern stair tower and reinstatement of public realm marks an important stage in the opening up of the southern side of Wellington Street in recognition of the future development aspirations of the adopted strategic site allocations and council’s masterplan.”