To receive any apologies for absence.

The Chair, Councillor G. Singh, welcomed everyone to the meeting. Forum members then introduced themselves.

Apologies for absence were received from Councillor Taylor, Vice-Chair. Councillor Douglas stepped in to substitute her.

To receive any declarations of interest.

Later on in the meeting, Councillor Douglas declared that he was a trustee at Maidenhead Community Centre and therefore knew the people behind Nature’s Haven.

The Forum is to approve the minutes of the meeting held on 13^th November 2023.

The Chair asked for updates on the actions from the last meeting:

Outstanding actions:

• Maidenhead Station Team to share their assessment from the Station Team.
• Simon Lymn to check whether the traffic flow modelling was done before or after the closure of Broadway car park.

RESOLVED UNANIMOUSLY: That the minutes of the meeting held on 13^th November 2023 were approved as a true and accurate record.

The Chair and Vice-Chair to highlight any updates of interest to residents.

The Chair had no updates of interest for residents.

To receive an update from Thames Valley Police.

Sergeant Philip Collings, Thames Valley Police (TVP), reported that TVP received emails raising the issue of e-scooters and cyclists in pedestrianised areas, particularly Maidenhead High Street. In response, TVP enacted positive action against the perpetrators. If the perpetrators were adults, they would be given a warning and recorded into the police system, followed by a fine if they repeated the offence. If the perpetrators were children, to avoid penalising the parents, under Sections 35 and 34, TVP could confiscate the property which was being used in an anti-social manner, with the child attending with their parents to pick up their personal property. Sergeant Philip Collings mentioned that TVP officers mixed up the times and days of the week when doing patrols to catch as many offenders as possible.

Inspector Natasha Gidda, Thames Valley Police (TVP), informed that the Neighbourhood Team’s (and wider TVP) priorities were engaging with seldom-heard communities, such as focusing on hate crimes; violence against women and girls, working with TVP partners and charities; and youth engagement. In addition, TVP were also resolving issues with a problem-solving approach around Maidenhead, such as anti-social behaviour and shop lifting. With neighbourhood policing, TVP had been under-resourced in the last couple of years but had recently increased its staff as neighbourhood policing was a priority.

Councillor Baskerville asked when did the crack down on e-scooters start and how many were confiscated. Sergeant Philip Collings answered that crack down started at September 2023 as part of new PCSOs starting a community project, and that 5-to-6 e-scooters were temporarily confiscated. While some perpetrators got the message, some young people had to be dealt with by the Youth Offending Service and social services albeit with positive results.

Councillor Baskerville subsequently asked whether TVP patrolled in the outline areas away from the Town Centre. Sergeant Philip Collings replied that TVP, while aware of the scale, were focused at the moment with getting one area under control before hopefully expanding out once more officers were recruited.

Councillor Shaw asked the direction in confiscating e-scooters, namely whether it was based on danger or specific instances of use. Sergeant Philip Collings stated that it was primarily uses in pedestrianised areas, with a significant activity outside Nicholson’s Shopping Centre and McDonald’s.

Councillor Shaw then asked whether the crackdown in e-scooter usage in pedestrianised areas was part of an updated priorities list from Maidenhead South Police. Inspector Natasha Gidda replied that each area had their own set of priorities chosen by the community which would be added to TVP patrol plans, ensuring communities were being heard. Sergeant Phillip Collings summarised that PSCOs received priorities from TVP HQ to all neighbourhood officers while also asking communities on their priorities which would also be added.

When Councillor Shaw asked if this information would have been released on Maidenhead South Police website in February 2024, Sergeant Phillip Collings and Inspector Natasha Gidda said that they would check this.

Councillor Reynolds highlighted car crimes, namely the use of signal devices to target keyless  ...  view the full minutes text for item 248.

To receive an update on the St Cloud – Magnet Leisure Centre development.

Malcolm Wood, Project Director – Countryside Partnerships, and Grace Alderson, Senior Development Manager – Countryside Partnerships, gave a presentation explaining the overview on the project. Giving some background, the development had been going on for 4-to-5 years and Saint-Cloud Way was part of the Royal Borough Development Partnership (established in 2017).

Grace Alderson explained that the scheme was permitted in Summer 2022 and started with the removal of the footbridge over Saint-Cloud Way and then the demolition of the Magnet Leisure Centre. The development would consist of 434 homes spread across five development blocks. The development would be split into 2 phases with the southern blocks being developed first followed by the northern blocks. The key features were:

·       The 434 homes would include 87 affordable homes for local people; meanwhile the 87 affordable homes would include 33 affordable rent homes and 54 shared ownership homes.

·       There would be improved connectivity by utilising the Missing Links connection to encourage sustainable forms of transport. The former Saint-Cloud Way footbridge had been replaced by an accessible at grade crossing. There would also be improvements to the existing subway.

·       A total of 346 parking spaces on the site, including electric car charging ports and a car club.

·       The design of the site incorporated a range of outdoor immunity space with each household having private outdoor space (either a terrace or balcony), mixed tenure podium courtyard spaces, and an open space (including a children’s play space).

In terms of the construction timeline:

·       Autumn 2022: Phase 1, start of development.

·       Summer 2024: Private sales launch.

·       Spring 2025: First private and affordable homes delivered.

·       Autumn 2025: Affordable homes to be completed.

·       Summer 2028: Phase 1 homes to be completed.

Grace Alderson also displayed some images on the progress of the development work.

Countryside Partnerships sought to work in the community and promoted social value during its development, which included:

·       Ensuring regular contact and engagement with local stakeholders and local residents and neighbours,

·       Quarterly construction newsletters were distributed to local residents to provide an update on construction progress,

·       Local residents being invited to ‘Meet the Builders’ events and be given an opportunity to ask questions,

·       Appointing a dedicated Community Liaison Officer, Kat Robinson, who oversaw the site and was on-hand to respond to any queries or concerns from residents,

·       The construction team and subcontractors installing a new sandpit and help out with electrical works the nearby Beehive nursery,

·       Rolling out a virtual work experience programme to local schools on the house building industry,

·       Providing apprenticeship funding for local students.

Alongside the voluntary social engagement, Countryside Partnerships had Section 106 commitments which were agreed during the planning process which was then used to contribute towards improving the local area, totalling to £1.133 million. A couple of contributions – Off-Site Highway Contribution and Travel Plan Contribution – had already been paid for early on in the scheme.

Councillor Reynolds conveyed some resident comments on some of the contractors parking in residential roads and wondered whether Countryside Partnerships were aware of  ...  view the full minutes text for item 249.

To receive a presentation on flooding and emergency response from Ben Crampin, Principal Flood Risk Manager, Chris Joyce, Assistant Director of Placemaking Partnerships and Sustainability, and Carolyn Richardson, Service Manager – Joint Emergency Planning Unit.

Ben Crampin, Principal Flood Risk Manager, and Carolyn Richardson, Service Manager – Joint Emergency Planning Unit, gave an overview on the role and responsibilities in flooding.

The Borough had two key roles within flooding and incident response. The first is being the Lead Local Flood Authority (lead by Ben Crampin) which included the following responsibilities:

·       Maintain a Local Flood Risk Management Strategy,

·       Being the relevant authority for surface water and groundwater flooding,

·       Investigate flooding events,

·       A consultee on planning applications, such as new homes and business proposals to ensure they were not increasing flood risk,

·       Maintain RBWM-owned drainage systems,

·       Ensure riparian owners on ordinary water course were maintaining their responsibilities.

The second role from RBWM was its responsibilities in Emergency Planning (headed by Carolyn Richardson) which encompassed:

·       Review risks in the area,

·       Prepare plans relating to these risks, such as Adverse Weather Plan, which was implemented during the recent flooding event,

·       Undertake training and exercising with the Council and with multi-agency partners to ensure preparedness,

·       Support information sharing and engagement to help the public and community groups prepare for emergencies,

·       Work with Parish Council and local groups to help create community plans and encourage flood resilience, including property-level protection.

The Environment Agency (EA) were the Strategic Flooding Authority who had the following responsibilities:

·       Strategic oversight, including modelling for flood risk and maintaining a National Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management Strategy,

·       Relevant authority for Fluvial Flood Risk, notably flooding from the River Thames,

Thames Water were the Sewerage Provider, who were responsible for:

·       Managing and maintaining the public sewer network,

·       Being the relevant authority for Sewage flooding.

During a flooding event, the relevant aforementioned authorities would work together to respond to it and provide information to the public and community groups. RBWM and EA would investigate the causes of the flooding, following by debriefs and implementing solutions.

After the Cabinet Office had set up Cabinet Office Briefing Rooms (COBR), the Borough would establish the following structure:

·       At gold level, a Mult-Agency Strategic Coordinating Group (SCG) and a Strategic Emergency Management Team (SEMT),

·       At silver level, the Mult-Agency Tactical Coordinating Group (TCG) and an Emergency Operations Centre (EOC),

·       At bronze level, Multi-Agency Operational Coordinating Group and a Reception/Rest/Humanitarian Assistance Centre etc.

The Borough was in the process of developing a new Local Flood Risk Management Strategy, with the current one having been published in 2014 and thus requiring an update to bring it in line with current policy and to ensure it was line with current local flood risk (defined as surface water, groundwater and ordinary watercourses).

The new strategy would include:

·       Identification of Risk Management Authorities and their roles,

·       Known flood risk in the Borough,

·       Aims and objectives to mitigate local flood risk,

·       Action Plans detailing how these objectives would be achieved.

The strategy would be developed into a multi-agency document with other risk management agencies, Town Forums and Parish Councils being consulted throughout the process.

In terms of timescale, the consultation was supposed to take place at around March  ...  view the full minutes text for item 250.

To receive an update from Robyn Bunyan, Maidenhead Town Manager.

Robyn Bunyan first informed that the item had two reports due to the meeting January 2024 being cancelled. Mostly covering the update for March 2024, she gave some key details:

·       For footfall on Saturday 10^th February 2024 (Lunar New Year), the High Street had 5,834 visits, a 62% increase compared to the same Saturday in 2023; and the larger Maidenhead area had 4,215 visits, a 10% increase compared to the same Saturday in 2023. These illustrated that the events lead to people to engage in the Town Centre and help the local economy.

·       The Maidenhead Pancake Race and other social events had been successes.

·       Alongside footfall, car parking had increased with Hines Meadow making up 45% of all car parking.

·       There were some new lettings on the High Street, including GDK (German Doner Kebab); Bombay Story (opening at Waterside Quarter); Sushi Point (opening on the High Street); Card Zone (recently opened); ToMo (Czech Budvar and food at Waterside Quarter); Your Petjesy and No.1 Bar and Grill (opened on Queen Street); Bills Bargains (opened on the High Street); Cocoba chocolate shop would open up at Waterside Quarter; Nando’s letting had been confirmed, and 2 other large national brands were also confirmed to join One Maidenhead development.

·       Office lettings in the last quarter totalled to 36,307 square feet, achieving a total rent of £1,003,912 per annum.

·       Vacancy rates were lower than the national average.

With Make Maidenhead events, Robyn Bunyan stated that the weeks through January, February and March 2024 had been filled with various social events. Upcoming events in March 2024 included:

·       Weekly Produce Market,

·       Maidenhead’s Big Read,

·       Random and Rocks: Superhero Party,

·       Maidenhead Cycle Hub Family Ride,

·       Norden Farm: Explore Day,

·       Rotary Easter Family Fun Day.

After revealing the new orange Maidenhead Town Team high visibility vests, Robyn Bunyan stated that the Maidenhead Town Team were running a volunteer planting project on Saturday 16 March 2024 to clean up the abandoned planters around the Town Centre in preparation of replanting them. Volunteers could sign up outside the Town Hall on Saturday morning. The project was in collaboration with Braywick HEATH Nurseries with some funding from UK SPF (shared prosperity fund). Hanging plant baskets had also been installed with growing plants.

Robyn Bunyan concluded by giving praise to the Town Team and expressed appreciation to Goyals Uniforms Workshop for the high-visibility vests.

(Claire Charalambous and Aleks Brown entered the meeting virtually at 7:54pm)

Councillor Reynolds commended the recent events, notably the Big Read event receiving 4,000 people and the turnout at the Pancake Race, and the work by the Library Team as well as the Town Team.

Councillor Douglas asked whether Maidenhead Town Centre had turned a corner with the new food units. Robyn Bunyan answered that the data showed that Maidenhead was moving in the right direction with footfall having recovered, vacancy rates being low and lettings standing at a good level. A change had taken place from a classic retail high street to experimental dining. Despite this, the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 251.

To receive a presentation from Nature’s Haven.

Claire Charalambous, Horticultural Therapist (Nature’s Haven), and Aleks Brown, Naturopath / Nutrition Therapist (Nature’s Haven), gave an overview of Nature’s Haven. The objectives of Nature’s Haven were to bring the community together, give them a safe space to attend events and workshops, learn more about horticulture and nature and how that can benefit them. They were doing this in conjunction with other organisations, namely Waltham Place and Braywick Nature Centre, forming a group named ‘Gather and Grow’ to promote events throughout the year.

Nature’s Haven started in April 2023 after being invited by Councillor Douglas to clear up the neglected garden of the Maidenhead Community Centre. While it was primarily by Claire Charalambous and Aleks Brown, Nature’s Haven had a band of volunteers to help out. After some work, the Community Centre garden being transformed into a haven, with the garden being designed to stimulate senses with sound, colour, fragrance, movement texture and taste. The garden had a mix of flowers, herbs, fruit and vegetables. It enabled visitors to visit a quiet place to reflect and to enjoy being outside in nature or to engage in gardening. As part of their gardening work, Nature’s Haven was also developing a new area in front of the Community Centre building by clearing and shredding the area to make way for an orchard of various trees which would receive some funding from RBWM. The orchard would showcase how the amount of fruit could be grown in a relatively small space and the different way in which this could be achieved.

Nature’s Haven was also going to launch the ‘Sow, Grow, Eat…Repeat’ program, a 4 week initiative to help people on how to grow, tend, harvest fruit and vegetables.

Claire Charalambous and Aleks Brown then gave some credit to their group of volunteers as well as support from another charity, GoodGym.

One principle which Nature’s Haven promoted was sustainability, which included ensuring the fruit and vegetables which they grew was good quality as well as minimalise waste (e.g., using old pumpkins for bird feed).

Nature’s Haven recently started working with the Berkshire College of Agriculture (BCA) by taking on adult students who were learning to return to a working environment. The volunteering taught student horticultural skills which would open up opportunities for them to paid work. In addition, Nature’s Haven were going to have some corporate volunteering sessions with Travelport and MCS (a software company) to help out with clearing the site for the orchard and then do some planting as well.

In conclusion, Claire Charalambous and Aleks Brown then listed the events and workshops which were managed by Nature’s Haven: ‘Sow, Grow, Eat…Repeat’, Gather and Grow Container Gardening, Wreath Making, Tea Blending, Fire Pit Meet Ups, composting seed gatherings, the Harvest Festival Fruit Tree Pruning and more. They then displayed their contact details:

·       Website: https://www.natureshaven.net/

·       Instagram: natures.haven.garden

·       Contact number: 07880 775731

Councillor Douglas declared an interest by informing that he was a trustee at Maidenhead Community Centre and  ...  view the full minutes text for item 252.

Residents and Forum attendees are invited to make suggestions on agenda items for future Forum meetings and ask any questions.

When the Chair asked if there were any item suggestions, Laurence Ellis directed him to the minutes of the last meeting which had a few item suggestions, including charity/volunteer groups (such as Men’s Matters which the Chair suggested Councillor Douglas could contact) and a youth provision within the Borough (which the Chair suggested that Councillor Reynolds could look into). The Chair stated that any item suggestions could be forwarded onto him.

Councillor Reynolds suggested to invite the Community Team to talk about projects which were being funded by the Innovation Fund.

Post-meeting update

There was an item suggestion to invite either Autism Group or Autism Berkshire.

The item suggestions for future Forum meetings were:

·       Charity/volunteer group (e.g., Men’s Matters)

·       A youth provision within the Borough

·       Braywick Heath Nurseries

·       Autism Group or Autism Berkshire.

To note that all future meetings to be held in-person at the Town Hall, Maidenhead on the following dates at 6.30pm:

·       13^th May 2024

The Forum noted that the next meeting would be held on 13^th May 2024 at 6:30pm in the Council Chamber, Town Hall, Maidenhead.

The subsequent meeting dates (all 6:30pm) were:

·       11 Jul 2024

·       3 Sep 2024

·       14 Nov 2024

·       15 Jan 2025

·       13 Mar 2025

·       8 May 2025