NOVEMBER 2023 UPDATE
Introduction
We both post widely on local social media keeping our Clewer and Dedworth East residents, as well as others, informed as to what is going on locally, and we don’t tend to repeat that in this monthly update. This concentrates on what we’ve been doing over the month.
Clewer & Dedworth Together Christmas Fair
Alison is one of the organisers of the Christmas Fair at Clewer Memorial Park. We had lots of lovely raffle and tombola prizes donated and we raised enough money to fund the Christmas lights in Dedworth for another year. The rain threatened to spoil the day but it managed to stay away for most of the day. Helen was a trooper in organising the tombola.
Other Christmas Fairs and Community Activities
We have attended the Age Concern and Ukrainian Christmas Fairs and the Age Concern Quiz and its Cost of Living Day. Helen has been offering complimentary Royal Windsor Racecourse tickets to any Fairs she has come across for their Raffle – no one so far has refused the offer!
Road Markings
A resident from Cotes Place approached us to explain difficulties in entering and exiting from/to Dedworth Road. Helen the requested to have Keep Clear road markings has been approved. However, we are aware that there is a significant backlog in road marking painting, in some cases more than a year, but its in the system.
Youth Council
All Councillors were invited to meet members of the Youth Council and join them in a slice of pizza. They were rightly proud of their achievements and told Helen they had really made a difference. Cllr Devon Davies, Cllr Amy Tisi and Helen decided to stay on to observe the meeting itself. Amy and Helen, as is our wont, found ourselves offering advice hoping that it will help them engage more in Council business.
Remembrance Sunday
This year we both attend the Civic Service at Holy Trinity. It was very moving. In the past Helen has attended the Clewer Memorial Service and we will look to alternate between the two.
Bus Consultation
We are working hard alerting residents and community and official groups to the bus consultation which is proposing removing the W1 service, resulting in buses going to the only GP surgery in Windsor. We are also working hard in producing an evidence-based response including proposals on how those residents without the money and ability can reach our essential community assets.
St Andrew’s Crescent
The pathway on the corner of St Andrews Crescent lifted so much from tree routes that it became impassable. We were delighted when its repair was brought forward, presumable on health and safety grounds.
Cabinet
Helen continues to attend Cabinet and ask questions. She asked about the Property Company why we were in such a financial mess and her concern at voluntary groups being charged fees for using our Parks https://youtu.be/yHkSHWPMZrQ. Her request to have more transparency re Cabinet’s Forward Plan was accepted. You can watch it here.
Corporate Overview & Scrutiny Panel
Helen asked for a correction of minutes, raised her concern that the minutes didn’t reflect the Panel agreed to meet offline to discuss the work programme, and that we’re the poorer because of that. She asked several questions regarding the new Quality Assurance Report https://youtu.be/-0_r9brLiww. She frankly expressed her views on the poor quality of the report on the sale of Pickins Peacehttps://youtu.be/-0_r9brLiww?t=6598 Other members had similar and other concerns and we agreed this should be referred back to Cabinet. She also asked questions about the budget process https://youtu.be/-0_r9brLiww?t=11619 and made recommendations on how to involve all three Overview and Scrutiny Panels, which has been accepted.
Windsor Forum
Alison chaired the Windsor Forum – we had the town centre manager present along with Busy Buttons talk about their charity and we had a chat about parish councils too. Feel free to come along to the next one on 11th January at York House, Windsor at 6.30pm – you can watch it here.
Rural Forum
Helen attended the Rural Forum. She’s never attended it before and found it very interesting. She briefed the landowners on her role as Corporate Social Responsibility Champton and how she could help them. https://youtu.be/JQM4kNoeRWs
Clearing the Illingworth Paths
Helen organised a path clearance with Illingworth residents where these paths connect with Washington Drivel We were taken aback by the volume of leaves and completely filled the three sacks supplied, but created piles of the rest to be cleared by the contractor at a later date. There were over a dozen residents and within two hours we’d made it not only safer but much more pleasant to look at and walk on.
Abandoned Trolleys
It seems to be taking Trolleywise longer than ususal to remove trolleys. The one at Park Corner is still there after a week.
Transforming A shrubbery bed outside Boots, Dedworth Road
Helen organised a team of residents to dig over, plant bulbs and forget-me-nots. This will look lovely come the Spring.
Corporate Social Responsibility
Helen has reached out to business contacts sheknows for advice and leads. She presented to the Rural Forum on her role seeking contacts. She briefed out the Assistant Director of Infrastructure, Sustainability and Economic Growth and the Service Lead – Economic Growth explaining what she had done and what she plans to do listing the projects.
She’s working on externally with the Crown Estate, Windsor Castle, Centrica, LEGOLAND, Royal Windsor Racecourse, Keeler, and internally with the Strategic Lead for Communities and the Champion for Volunteering. As a result we have agreed to meet on a monthly to ensure we can work on a collaborative basis and are fully aware of what each of us is doing. As she’s mentioned before Centrica are very active on their CSR and “supplying” them with activities take a fair chunk of time. (but highly worthwhile of course!). She has been discussing with officers the Social Value Policy, the Memorandum of Understanding and ensuring volunteering activities are covered by public liability. She met with the Head and Deputy of our Virtual School for our children under care to explore how I could support them through CSR. She’s exploring with the Cabinet Member for Climate Change and Biodiversity how she can collaborate best with the Climate Partnership.
Neighbourhood Inspector
Helen organises regular meetings with our Neighbourhood Inspector, ensuring all the wards covered in their Windsor area are invited. We have a new Inspector so this was our first meeting. When the notes of the meeting are published she’ll share highlights.
Legoland
There were several interactions with LEGOLAND this month including a Residents’ Meeting and a consultation. LEGOLAND have created a pdf, attached, to be shared more widely with residents. Ideas were shared re a possible bridleway at the recent exhibition as well as at the resident’s meeting, LEGOLAND is looking as to how to take these forward, but this is a separate process to the Woodland Village. More information will be available in the Spring. Re the details designs for the Woodland Village, these will be available in the New Year.
LLW newsletter and residents meeting
Abri
A lot of our time this month, as in others, is spent on Abri matters. Intervening when residents can’t get issues resolved, taking it up to Board level, which is being done on a more frequent basis, identifying flaws in their systems and recommending better processes. The quarterly meeting with the top team took place this month and Helen posted about this on her facebookhttps://www.facebook.com/helen.price.5680/. Helen (not Alison as she sits on the Planning Panel) has been asking questions about the upcoming proposal for the new development at Sawyers Close. This is to be heard at the Meeting on 7 December. You can watch it live here https://www.youtube.com/@WindsorMaidenhead/featured
Centrica
Helen continues to liaise with Centrica over their volunteering activities. This month a comprehensive and successful litter pick took place over Windsor.
Social Media
Both of us continue to keep you informed on a regular basis by posting on social media, both facebook and NextDoor. We hope you find these useful. From the comments made you do!
Consultations
Proposed routes for subsidised bus service https://rbwmtogether.rbwm.gov.uk/bus closing date 20 December
Taxi Licencing proposals https://www.rbwm.gov.uk/news/have-your-say-taxi-licensing-proposals-royal-borough?utm_source=Twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=Orlo closing date 22 December
Local Nature Recovery Strategy for Berkshire https://rbwmtogether.rbwm.gov.uk/berkshire-local-nature-recovery-strategy?utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=Orlo closing date 2 January
Have your say on the Thames Valley Police Budget https://www.thamesvalley-pcc.gov.uk/survey/ closing date 5 January
Residents Issues
Planning, social media, repairs, environmental pollution by companies.
Meetings, etc.
Strategic Lead for Communities, Flooding consultation with RBWM, Cabinet Member re Parks and Community, Budget briefing x 2 , Corporate Overview and Scrutiny Panel, LEGOLAND x 2 Residents’ Meeting and Consultation, Centrica – Corporate Volunteering Manager, Windsor Forum, Abri x 3 Remembrance Civic Service in Windsor, Chair of Rural Forum, Chair of Corporate Overview and Scrutiny Panel, tBfI meeting x 2, Age Concern Cost of Living, Sustainability SPD display/presentation, Assistant Director of Strategy and Service Lead Strategy Policy, Performance and Insights, Youth Council, Xmas Fayres at Age Concern, Ukranian Refugees, Clewer and Dedworth Together. WAM Get Involved, Neighbourhood Inspector, Voluntary Forum, Cabinet, New Windsor Community Association, WFS at Tesco.