Nicholson Quarter recommended for approval as developer sends out letters to tenants

Council officers have recommended the £500 million Nicholson Quarter development be given the green light, ahead of a crunch meeting which could decide the project’s fate.

'The proposal would bring significant benefits to Maidenhead Town Centre and the borough,' a report prepared for councillors meeting on Thursday (November 20) said.

RBWM councillors deferred a decision last month, citing a need for more information, but should they vote to approve it, Nicholsons Shopping Centre will be demolished and replaced by a mixed-use scheme including flats, shops and offices.

The news comes as Areli, the developer behind the project, issued a letter to shopkeepers in the centre warning that development would soon take place.

The letter, signed by company chief executive officer Robert Tincknell, said Nicholsons Shopping Centre would soon be vacated 'ahead of its closure in the first half of 2026'.

It added: “Formal notices are now being served in line with the terms of your occupational leases.

“We are sharing this information with you early so that you have time to plan ahead.”

The letter caused some confusion for shop owners, given that the plans have not yet been approved and no specific date was given.

One affected tenant, Mark Woodhead of artwork shop Crazy About Framing, said the letter was 'a lot of bluster and not many facts'.

He added: “It's terrible at the moment because it's so much uncertainty, and with M&S going as well… they said we are closing next year - it was definitive, there's no messing around.

“Whereas our letter is a bit, ‘this is what we're planning to do’.”

Mr Woodhead suggested the letter could have been an effort to 'pressure' the council into approval ahead of Thursday’s Maidenhead Development Management Committee meeting.

Last week, Bob Dulson from Maidenhead Civic Society told the Advertiser that the council should be prepared to 'walk away' from the plans if they did not provide the facilities and services needed by residents.

Questions have persisted over the Nicholson Quarter about a lack of car parking space, shop and restaurant space. Areli said last week that public toilets will now be provided.

“It's like having a tooth extracted very slowly,” Mr Woodhead said. “We just wish we'd know one way or the other so we know what we can do.”

Asked whether he was worried about the future of the business he co-runs, Mr Woodhead, 61, replied: “Yes, we'll have a decision to make probably because we're not youngsters.

“Do we call it a day or do we carry on?”

Commenting on the letter, St Mary’s ward councillor Gurch Singh said: “If this does turn out to be the final Christmas for the Nicholsons in its current form, let's make it count.

“The centre and its shops have served Maidenhead for generations. So please, give them your support this festive season.”

An Areli spokesperson told the Advertiser: “There has been increasing speculation about the future of the Nicholson Shopping Centre, particularly from the tenants.

“With formal termination notices now starting to be served, we felt it was important to give the tenants up-to-date information and the letter was intended to clarify this position, not to cause concern.

“Following extensive engagement with the council and the community, preparations for the regeneration have been under way for several years and the team are firmly focused upon delivering the exciting regeneration of this site and the revitalisation of the town centre.

“Therefore, the centre is scheduled to close in H1 [first half of] 2026 as part of that long-planned, complex process.

“We will continue to keep tenants fully informed and supported and will provide everyone with a more detailed update once the planning committee has met later this month.”