Why I Cannot Support This Budget
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Whilst I appreciate the efforts of officers and councillors to produce a balanced budget, I cannot in good conscience support it. Not only does it fail to address the deep-rooted financial issues RBWM faces, but it places yet another burden on residents.
Yes, our council tax is lower than some other areas, but so are the services we provide. That’s not a benefit—it’s a reflection of years of cuts that have stripped away what residents should rightfully expect from their local council. The reality is that if more money had been available, it would have been spent, because the services that people rely on have been cut to the bone.
A Budget Built on Flawed Priorities
The RBWM Cabinet continues to blame the previous administration for the council’s financial crisis, but it refuses to support an inquiry to uncover exactly what went wrong. Instead, we’re told poor data, missing records, and past mistakes are to blame—so there’s no point investigating further.
Last year, the Cabinet pushed through what they called a ‘Phoenix Budget’, claiming it would help the council rise from the ashes of financial mismanagement. Yet instead of delivering stability, the situation has worsened, with even greater financial uncertainty. Concerns raised at the time were ignored, and those of us who opposed it were vilified—yet our warnings have now been proven right.
Blaming political opponents achieves nothing when the real issue is systemic failures in financial management and oversight that have persisted for years. We should be learning from past mistakes, not repeating them.
Windsor’s Parks – Finally Some Recognition, But Is It Enough?
Our parks are literally falling apart, with areas such as Osborne Park & Vansittart Park suffering from neglected pathways, broken benches, and overgrown spaces that make them less welcoming for residents. Graffiti is no longer being cleaned up by the council unless it’s offensive—meaning many public spaces are being left in a state of disrepair unless councillors or residents take it upon themselves to clean it up.
It is good to hear that a Windsor Parks Officer will finally be appointed after the role was left vacant since September 2023. It’s also good to hear that parks maintenance will be included in this year’s budget, but it has been lumped in under ‘Council Asset Maintenance’ with only £732k allocated – an amount that is unlikely to cover all that is required. The budget document states that this includes prioritised works on leisure centres, waste facilities, and community venues.
So while this sounds positive, it’s unclear how much of this will actually be spent on our parks. Will they finally receive the maintenance they need, or will this funding be spread so thin that our green spaces continue to deteriorate—or result in a further overspend?
Sports Provision – Making Local Sport Less Accessible
We are once again increasing sports pitch fees by 10%, despite the fact that last year, we failed to invoice at least two major Windsor sports teams. One team attempted to pay at least three times last year, yet they were unable to because of RBWM’s failures to produce an invoice – and these were for pitches that weren’t even in a playable condition. Instead of encouraging participation in local sport, this increase in fees places additional financial strain on teams and young players, making it harder for them to access facilities.
Parking – Driving People Away
Parking charges in Windsor remain too high, and it’s clear they are deterring both residents and visitors. It’s not unusual to see empty car park spaces even on weekends, because people are finding alternatives – not because they don’t need parking, but because RBWM has priced them out. On top of that, the free one-hour scheme is unnecessarily complex, leaving many residents unable to access it.
This Budget Will Make the Situation Worse
The S151 officer has stated that this budget will make the financial situation worse, citing concerns about the ongoing structural deficit, the lack of financial resilience, and the uncertainty around key revenue streams. The council has a Best Value Duty. This budget does not meet that duty. It is not robust, and we, as councillors, have a duty to ensure that the budget is realistic and deliverable.
RBWM has access to a substantial EFS drawdown facility, yet even with this, essential services remain underfunded, and residents see little improvement. Neighbourhoods continue to decline while the council demands more but delivers less. A fairer, more balanced approach that prioritises those who fund this council was needed, but instead, this budget falls short once again.
I do not believe this budget is sustainable. Given the scale of last year’s overspend, I have serious concerns that we will once again see a massive overspend, leading to an even deeper financial hole.
Even if we manage to get through this year, there is still no clear long-term financial strategy in place. This is not responsible financial management—it is reactive crisis management, and it is failing the residents of RBWM.
Why We Need an Inquiry
We need an inquiry to uncover the truth. Decisions were made that led us into this crisis, yet there has been little transparency over who was responsible or how these choices were justified. Without a full investigation, we risk repeating the same mistakes instead of putting safeguards in place to prevent this from happening again.
The Borough First Independents believe in putting people before politics and holding the council to account. Our role is to challenge poor decision-making, push for transparency, and ensure that local people get the services they deserve.
RBWM residents deserve transparency and accountability – not excuses.
I’m sorry that I cannot support this budget.
Cllr Carpenter
Clewer and Dedworth East
the Borough first Independents
Watch the whole speech video here (click play button below):
You can watch the whole RBWM full council meeting here: https://www.youtube.com/live/3bbsdFeMKcI