Windsor Forum
Monday 2 June 2014 6.30 pm
WINDSOR AND ETON TOWN FORUM
2 JUNE 2014
2 JUNE 2014
PRESENT: Councillors Natasha Airey (Chairman), Eileen Quick (Vice Chair), Jessie Grey (sub for George Bathurst), John Lenton (sub for Sue Evans), and John Fido.
Also Present: Vivienne Allen (resident), Helen Price (registered speaker & resident) and Anne Taylor (Windsor & Eton Society).
Officers: Tanya Leftwich, Paul Roach, Ben Smith and Neil Walter.
PART I
APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE
Apologies were received from Councillors George Bathurst, James Evans and Sue Evans.
Apologies were also received from Dave Perkins (RBWM) and Garry Williams (resident).
DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST
None were received.
MINUTES
The Minutes of the meeting of the Forum held on 6 February 2014 were approved as a correct record.
Helen Price, a resident, had registered to speak for three minutes on the minutes from the last meeting. The Chairman invited Helen to address the Forum.
Helen Price explained to Members that she wanted to refer to the LEGOLAND Traffic Update item (the joint presentation from the Highways and Transport Strategic Manager, Ben Smith, and Sue Kemp from LEGOLAND) that had come to the last meeting. Members were informed that the 25% of the Windsor tourism economy referred to was in fact visitor numbers and not the economy.
Helen Price went onto explain that LEGOLAND needed to achieve an £111 million turnover, however it had achieved a turnover of £47 million in 2010 and a yield of approximately £60 million in 2012 which had meant that LEGOLAND had fallen short of the target they had needed to achieve.
Helen Price informed Members that LEGOLAND’s key performance indicators and their strategy plan were not available to be viewed. It was noted that at the last meeting LEGOLAND had informed Members that the new and enhanced route signage would have been implemented by mid-March which had not been the case. Helen Price explained that four months had now passed and requested that regular traffic updates come to the Windsor Town Forum as a standing item on the agenda.
The Chairman explained that the Windsor Town Forum was not a decision making body but that the Panel were happy to have a regular LEGOLAND traffic update standing item on the agenda. The Chairman also suggested that the item could be added to a future Highways, Transport and Environment Overview & Scrutiny Panel agenda and agreed to help make it happen.
The Chairman noted the sad passing of Councillor Cynthia Endacott.
PARKING REVIEW
The Highways and Transport Strategic Manager gave Members a short update presentation on the Windsor Parking Strategy. The presentation, which was agreed would be emailed out with the minutes, covered the following areas:
- History.
- Stakeholders.
- Demand & Capacity.
- Finding Solutions.
- Way Forward.
The Highways and Transport Strategic Manager explained that a working group had been formed to look at different parking options and that detailed projects / options would be brought to a future meeting.
In the ensuing discussion the following points were noted:
- The Highways and Transport Strategic Manager informed Members that whilst the Windsor Racecourse was considered a prime site, especially for coaches, it was noted that an affordable solution for both sides had not yet been reached due to a series of management changes at Windsor Racecourse.
- Councillor Fido explained that on-street parking in Old Windsor also needed to be looked into, in addition to the central Windsor area.
- The Parking Manager informed Members that the parking in Hatch Lane was made up mainly of resident’s permits and additional double yellow lines.
- Members noted that the Parking Manager was in discussions with the residents of the Castle Without ward to ensure that there was sufficient parking for residents in that ward.
- The Parking Manager informed Members that whilst the Council was looking at the whole of the Royal Borough with regard to the parking review, Windsor was a main area that was being looked at.
- The Parking Manager informed Members that one option that was being considered was to remove some pay and display parking bays in Windsor and replace them with two hour bays / residential parking. It was noted that this was being looked at on a road by road basis.
- Councillor Fido raised his concern about the public safety aspect when people virtually abandoned their cars on footways and requested that parking tickets be issued to help combat the issue. The Parking Manager explained that the Thames Valley police was able to enforce parking of footways if an obstruction was taking place.
- The Parking Manager explained to Members that his role at the Council was due to change in July and that he would be looking more at this type of work (schemes and projects) and less at civil enforcement.
- The Parking Manager explained that the civil enforcement workers could enforce and revoke blue badges when necessary. Members were informed that if a blue badge was being used and the person named on the blue badge was not present that badge could be seized and the person the badge belongs to can be called in for questioning and possibly cautioned. The Parking Manager explained that the Council was looking to train up more civil enforcement people who could ask the Thames Valley Police to assist if necessary.
- Councillor Lenton stated that he believed there to be an excess number of disabled parking spaces at King Edward Court. The Windsor Town Manager explained that he believed this was being monitored and that the owners were looking at the layout of the car park.
- The Highways and Transport Strategic Manager informed Members that the Principal Transport Policy Officer, Gordon Oliver, worked with the Cycle Forum to see where cycle parking and cycle routes could be located. It was noted that there were joint ticketing initiatives in place with regard to public transport (rail and bus travel) options which helped encourage people into the Town Centre but also helped reduce the number of cars into Windsor.
- The Highways and Transport Strategic Manager explained that the local bus services from West Windsor could be marketed / promoted more.
- The Windsor Town Manager, Paul Roach, informed Members that a cycle project was being looked at to increase the number of cycle parking bays in Peascod Street and William Street.
- The Vice-Chair informed everyone present that a new forum had been created that had met twice to date which she chaired which looked at increasing parking over the next few years in all areas of the Royal Borough.
The Chairman thanked the Highways and Transport Strategic Manager and the Parking Manager for attending the meeting and addressing the Forum.
BRIGHT IDEA CHALLENGE PRIZES
The Windsor Town Manager informed Members that the Bright Idea Challenge Prize fund had been running for three years and that the winners and runners up of the 2013 scheme had each been allocated a contact officer, a Lead Member and £5,000 to develop their project. The three projects were noted to be the night market, walk wise and the wildflower project. Members were informed that meetings had taken place between all the prize winners and the relevant contact officers.
In the ensuing discussion the following points were noted:
- The Windsor Town Manager went onto explain that the winner of the night market was Jeff Lloyd who was based in Maidenhead. It was noted that the date for the proposed night market for Maidenhead was being firmed up as the 12 July.
- The planning group had visited evening markets including the Street Feast Market (Dalston) to get ideas.
- The idea was to create something of a night time street festival with a little continental flare. Members were informed that the event would include food stalls, live entertainment, children’s rides and market stalls.
- The Town Partnership had recently hosted street entertainer auditions and was seeking to recruit a number of the town’s regular performers to come and support the event.
- The Windsor Town Manager went onto explain that as well as creating a new vibrancy in the Town Centre the Council would be looking to local shops to consider opening late and provide an opportunity for visitors to shop. It was noted that a number of stores had already started to operate later into the evening.
- The Windsor Town Manager explained that the winner of the wise walks was Karen Appleton who was also based in Maidenhead. It was noted that a number of potential walking routes, mainly in the Windsor area, had already been devised.
- Members were informed that the type of information that would be included in the sign was currently being reviewed and refined and that the walks would be aimed at encouraging walking for health benefits.
- It was noted that ten routes were being looked at in detail and designs would be drawn up for eye-catching signs to publicise the routes, emphasising the health benefits of walking.
- Members were informed that once the Windsor pilot routes had been put in place, further routes would be considered to widen the project to other parts of the Borough.
- The Windsor Town Manager explained that the wildflower project had been devised by Rachel Cook with the support of Jason Mills at Braywick Nature Reserve. It was noted that approximately 450 square metres of wildflower beds had now been sown at Oaken Grove Park in Maidenhead.
- Members noted that three dedicated ‘nectar bars’ in the park had been created using a special combination of native and non-native plants. The Windsor Town Manager explained that children from four local schools had come together to help sow the seeds on Tuesday 29 April 2014.
- Additional sites had been proposed and prepared for sowing in the next few weeks and in the Autumn and these sites were noted to be:
- o Treesmill Open Space.
o Dedworth Manor
o Imperial Park.
o Whitely Open Space.
o Cannondown Road/Whyteladyes jct. Cookham.
o Cox Green Road subway. - Local residents who knew of any areas that could be considered were urged to put forward their ideas to Jason Mills.
- The Windsor Town Manager informed Members that the launch for the 2014 Challenge Prize was currently planned for Tuesday 1 July 2014 at 11:00-11:45 and was likely to be held at The Firestation Arts Centre or the headquarters of a potential sponsor.
- Members were informed that the awards evening was currently planned for Tuesday 7 October 2014 at The Firestation Arts Centre where they would be providing the auditorium, basement and loft rooms.
- The Chairman informed Members that Windsor usually had a three day three day market tied in with the Christmas lights switch on.
- Councillor Fido suggested that the verge by the A308 (Whitely) could be an ideal location for the wildflower project.
- Councillor Fido also stated that he had been surprised not to see the Sutherland Grange included in the list of potential sites for the wildflower project.
- The Vice-Chair informed everyone present that Kevin Mist was the contact officer at the Council for the wildflower project.
The Chairman thanked the Windsor Town Manager for attending the meeting and addressing the Forum.
- Monday 6 October 2014
- Thursday 19 February 2015
The Chairman agreed that, if necessary, a special meeting could be arranged if the LEGOLAND traffic issue was to get significantly worse before the October meeting date.
MEETING