Five empty railway arches stretching from Windsor & Eton Central Station to Alma Road are set to be brought into use by the end of 2022 thanks to a £500k investment from The Arch Company.  

The arches to receive investment are units 25-26, 27-28, 29-30, 55, and 57 off Alma Road. These spaces have been vacant for over a decade and will be developed to fulfil their potential as quality spaces for businesses to thrive within. Further arches in Windsor are also being considered for future development plans, under The Arch Company’s £200m development plan – Project 1000 – to bring a thousand empty or derelict spaces into use across England and Wales. 

Craig McWilliam, CEO at The Arch Company, said: “Our significant £500k investment will help to create new spaces for five businesses in empty railway arches. The creation of these new spaces will help to spur local enterprise and support up to 25 new jobs for the area. This is all part of our national Project 1000 plan to bring empty or derelict spaces into use for 1,000 businesses by 2030.”  

Councillor Andrew Johnson, Leader, and Councillor Samantha Rayner, Deputy Leader, of the Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead, said: “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 arches by Windsor & Eton Central station are already home to some fantastic local businesses. M&T Engineering is a small, family run mechanics that has been in the arches for over 50 years, set at 31 & 32 Alma Road. The business was awarded the Royal Warrant from Her Majesty in 2000 and is trusted by the community. Their team 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. 

M&T Engineering Co-Founder Ashley Traynor said: “For us, we love the location of our arch. We feel it’s a special place to be and its perfect for our customers to leave their cars and go shopping or for a walk. We grew up in Windsor and most of our customers are now friends.” 

The Arch Company hopes to attract an array of businesses to its arches. The Windsor area is already home to a diverse range, including Revo, an interior design and construction company by the entrance to Goswell Road. Revo has a bustling trade including work with De Vere Hotels, the GLL leisure group and Microsoft, amongst residential projects. Another business is SES Engineering Services, one of the UK’s leading M&E partners as well as Micronel, who create industrial fans.   

Nick Vaile, Lettings Manager at The Arch Company 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. 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.” 

The Arch Company became responsible for 74 arches in the Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead in February 2019, with the majority occupied by small independent businesses. The Arch Company’s investment will help to ensure the arches that are currently empty, will instead be transformed into useful spaces for the local business community.  

For more information about the Alma Road arches, please contact Lettings at The Arch Company by visiting The Arch Company website here. 

Visit GLL leisure group here.