New designer flats from £227k for sale in a Crossrail hotspot

Slough has had a bad press over the years. In 1937 poet John Betjeman protested against the Berkshire town’s creeping industrialisation when he wrote: “Come, friendly bombs, and fall on Slough! It isn’t fit for humans now.” He later regretted that — and no doubt locals are tired of hearing it repeated.

Home to Europe’s largest trading estate, Slough was more recently portrayed as a soulless wasteland in TV sitcom The Office, workplace of David Brent.

But if it isn’t pretty, it is cheap, well-connected along the M4 corridor and is poised to turn the tables on its critics. At least, developers hope so.

Crossrail could well be the game-changer. A new station is being built and when the line starts operating in 2018, the journey into the West End will take just 34 minutes. Already this is giving the town a shot in the arm, and more improvements are likely to follow.

Verona, above, one of several new town centre apartment schemes, has 132 Kelly Hoppen-designed flats priced from £227,500. Call Connells on 01753 694153.

King’s Reach, another Slough scheme, includes houses with up to four bedrooms priced from £469,995. Call Bellway on 0845 6760260.