June 2023 update
Meetings with Family Hub & Thames Valley Police
During the last Administration Helen set up regular meetings with various bodies to ensure the Windsor urban councillors were kept up to date with developments and could ask questions. With the election of new councillors she has ensured that the following wards are all included, Datchet, Horton and Wraysbury, Old Windsor, Eton & Castle, Clewer East, Clewer and Dedworth East, Clewer and Dedworth West. Two of these bodies met in June – the Family Hub and the meeting with the Local Neighbourhood Inspector. With new councillors attending both concentrating on explaining the range of services.
Sawyers Close Orchard
This was officially opened. It could well be that we see the trees bearing fruit this coming Autumn. Helen was able to allay concerns re the impact with the proposed development. A new space has been designated and the trees will be moved as early as possible by specialist contractors to ensure the root ball is moved intact.
Cavalry Crescent Open Day
The refurbished homes in Cavalry Crescent have been upgraded by Annington Homes. The local councillors were invited to go and have a look so a few of us went along. Alison represented Clewer & Dedworth East at the event.
Grass Cutting
We are continuing to get complaints about lack of grass cutting or the poor quality of the grass cutting. All of your comments are fed up to the lead member representing this topic at Cabinet and he will be addressing them with the contractor, Tivoli. It is a topic that was raised as a potential future topic for the Place Overview & Scrutiny Panel that Alison sits on.
Corporate Overview & Scrutiny Panel
Helen continues to sit on this panel. A new Chair was elected Cllr Chris Moriaty and he chaired his first meeting extremely well. The Cost of Living Project was discussed as Helen had requested that we review if the various initiatives have proved effective. It was good to see that where things hadn’t proved effective changes had been made. However there are still residents who aren’t being reached despite information posted through their letterboxes, and officers will be exploring how this can be overcome – it’s a tough one to crack. Helen requested that officers look to how we will support residents who will be badly impacted by the interest rates rise and pointed out that voluntary organisations, whose support many residents rely on, were themselves facing financial pressures. She requested that this report (or summary) be distributed widely including voluntary organisations. Click here for more information
Place Overview & Scrutiny Panel
Alison attended this panel. It was a fairly short meeting where a number of potential topics were discussed. Sian Martin was eleted chair and George Blundell was voted vice chair, both from the Liberal Democrats.
If you have a topic you would like to put forward at a future O&S Panel please email democratic.services@rbwm.gov.uk and for more information about this meeting, click here.
Legoland & Taxi Drivers
Jubilee Arch (see main photo)
Helen met with Centrica and RBWM Parks Manager to see if Centrica could help us “restore” the Arch, which is situated in Dedworth Manor, opposite Centrica. We asked Centrica to propose how the Arch could stimulate many senses, be attractive all year round, attract insects, provide Information Boards – and pay for it! Whilst there I discussed with the Parks Manager how to make the edges of the Park, currently wildlife havens, more interesting by providing storyboards.
Thames Water
Thames Water are in the news for the wrong reasons at the moment.
In our ward alone there are too many leaks, which indicates the system just can’t cope. As one repair is completed the pressure finds the next weakest point and another leak occurs. We have asked RBWM what is the plan for infrastructure replacement and, in the meantime, to talk direct with Thames Water about their inefficient approach to mending leaks. One team comes out to install the traffic lights, another to dig the hole and repair, another to fill in the hole, and the first team reappears to dismantle the lights. There can be a gap of 24 hours between each team doing “their bit”, thus the public are inconvenienced for far longer than necessary. We tried to get the repair outside the Prince Albert Pub treated as urgent in view of Ascot Races starting the next day. On the Monday the leak was repaired by lunch time but the team who filled in the hole didn’t appear until Tuesday afternoon, with the traffic lights repair team soon after. The result was two rush hours that motorists and the Ascot arrivals were all unnecessarily inconvenienced. The Lead of Highways has assured us he will arrange a meeting with Thames Water to try and get theme to work more effectively.
Garden in Bloom
There are still another two weeks to enter the RBWM Garden in Bloom competition (closing date 14 July). We have been both visiting nominated gardens and have entered a dozen gardens ourselves. To enter https://www.rbwm.gov.uk/home/community-and-living/garden-bloom. So far we have over 30 entries but would love some more. This is one of the best roles of being a councillor.
Parking
Parking remains a big problem. Drivers think its fine to park on double yellow lines on a corner so its impossible to exit a road safely. When its pointed out to them they just swear back. Its struck us how many front gardens have been given over to cars because there are insufficient places to park cars. We’re losing the green environment. Now our climate has changed to sudden really heavy downpours the rain has nowhere to be absorbed and finds its way to the nearest drain where pools of water accumulate. This conversion of front gardens could be slowed down if there was an alternative to cars, eg a decent public transport system so a family with adult children living at home could find it no longer needs four cars but could reduce the number. An integrated public transport system requires subsidies to get things going, and both of us are pressing for a long term investment from RBWM in public transport.
Disability & Inclusion Forum
Helen attended this in person and raised again the issue of poorly maintained pavements and dropped kerbs being a barrier to residents with disabilities participating fully in the community. She offered to support the Vice Chair in her attempts to contact Railway organisations re lifts not working. We’re aware of lifts not working in our car parks too.
Corporate & Social Responsibility Champion
Helen is appointed to this new role. She is aiming to get more companies across RBWM to take an interest in their local community and support them. This is building on the work she has done in her Ward. She met with the Deputy Ranger, Windsor Great Park, had a tour round the Estate, and various initiatives are now being explored including employing local residents, local volunteers working in a Walled Garden with the produce being used at the local foodbank, etc, supporting the Community Fridge. Helen is liaising with officers and the Volunteering Champion to ensure we have a cohesive co-ordinated approach to local businesses.
Council Meeting
Council meetings are chaired by the Mayor. Our Mayor is Cllr Neil Knowles. He stamped his own style well and truly on the meeting. We finished the business in under an hour! He explained there was no need to stand to speak, all recommendations would be put up on the screen before voting. He would be far more open on Part 2 matters wherever possible. The seating layout was changed to be far less confrontational. It was like a breath of fresh air. However as will all changes there were hiccoups and the camera didn’t pan onto whoever was speaking. That will be rectified for the next meeting.
One of the papers was to do with capital budgets for schools. Hilltop First School will receive funding to provide enhanced SEND (Special Educational Needs) provision as from Sept 2024.
Meeting with Abri Board Directors
Helen was contacted by one of the Abri’s Executive Director following the election. She immediately alerted him to her concerns about the standard of service delivered by Abri and the sheer volume of things “not being done right first time”.
After further communication Alison and Helen met with Executive Director – Operations and the Executive Director – Strategy Business Intelligence and HR. We were both absolutely frank in our concerns. Our concerns were received well, immediate action was taken to rectify some outstanding issues. The Director – Operations has agreed to meet with Alison and Helen on a quarterly basis to ensure things are getting back on track and any new processes to make the system work more efficiently are working.
Outside Bodies
Councillors are appointed by Cabinet to sit on various outside bodies. Cabinet approved the following
Alison Carpenter – New Windsor Community Association and Sports Club,
Helen Price – Age Concern – Windsor, Disability and Inclusion Forum, Windsor Municipal Charities
Flower Planters
The six flowers planters along Dedworth Road and on St Andrews Crescent and the troughs at Wolf Lane/Smiths Lane all have a distinct character. Over the three Summers these have been looked after by residents there have been adaptations, moving towards more sustainable planting. The one outside the Hospice is all sustainable, others are a mixture. With the change in our weather patterns this is the way to go. Many many thanks to those residents and local businesses who plants, care and most importantly water these flowers. They bring pleasure to everyone.
Eid in the Park
As usual this was celebrated in Dedworth Manor. Around 80 residents were present as well as our local PCSO’s. There were lots of families as always and activities for the children. The weather stayed fair – just! Picture courtesy of TVP and includes the Chair of the Windsor Muslim Association, Cllr Karen Davies and Cllr Helen Price
Residents’ Issues
Social Housing swapping, Social care support, Repairs to Social housing, clearing overgrown gardens, safeguarding, volunteering.
Consultations
Public Space Protection Order closing date 19 July. This covers barbecues and fires in parks and open spaces as well as alcohol-related anti-social behaviour. https://rbwmtogether.rbwm.gov.uk/public-spaces-protection-orders-pspo-consultation
Heathrow Noise Action plan, closing date 17 July. www.heathrow.com/quieter
Meetings
Family Hub, Launch of Sawyers Close Orchard, Dedworth Library meet your PCSO’s x 2 Corporate Overview & Scrutiny Panel, LEGOLAND and taxi drivers, TVP, Windsor and Maidenhead Community Land Trust presentation, Carers exhibition, Launch of the RBWM lottery, Transformation and Community Service Lead and Community Development and Volunteers Officer x 2, LEGOLAND and Head of Place Change Programme, Launch of the Climate Partnership, Centrica and Parks Manager, Disability and Inclusion Forum, One Borough, Head of Democratic Services, Tesco’s Community Champions meetings, Abri x 3, Community Fridge at Sawyers Close, Communications Presentation, Windsor & Ascot Development Management Panel, Meetings to discuss the next Windsor Town Forum with Democratic Services, Meet the Officers Marketplace, working with GoodGym helping clear a residents garden, Equalities briefing, Council meeting, Eid in the Park, Cabinet, Service Lead for Economic Growth, Pride event at Tesco, MFC Magpies in the Community and Volunteering Champion Cllr Jack Douglas, Leaving Party at Family Friends, Cllr Jodie Grove re Walled Garden at the Great Park, Cllr Karen Davies and Chair of the Climate Partnership.
Cllr Alison Carpenter cllr.carpenter@rbwm.gov.uk 01753 905823
Cllr Helen Price cllr.price@rbwm.gov.uk 07752 847796
tBfI Clewer and Dedworth East.