To receive an update from Andrew Durrant, Executive Director of Place, on the Windsor Vision.

Andrew Durrant, Executive Director of Place, gave a presentation on the Vision for Windsor. He explained that Windsor had recently experienced high-profile events, namely the death of Queen Elizabeth II and being the focus of attention during the funeral. He then stated that the Borough had engaged with the Prince’s Foundation to formulate the Vision for Windsor report to articulate the project over the next 20 years. 

 

Andrew Durrant then explained that some scoping work took place, gathering technical and specialist input from Borough and external officers. There was also a series of sessions and stakeholder engagements to gather feedback from residents, such as the World Café Session, Visioning Workshop, online surveys and engagement through the Vision for Windsor RBWM webpage. 

 

Out of around 20 key areas raised from public engagement and feedback, the top three issues were satellite parking solutions, better cleanliness/waste management of town centre and environmental concerns. In addition, cycle routes, better traffic management in the centre and improved public transport options were also strongly favoured. 

 

Andrew Durrant then showed the Prince’s Foundation’s Community Capital Framework, which assessed its natural, social, financial and built assets. The table also conveyed which areas were stronger or weaker and therefore required more attention. 

 

The emerging consensus from the engagements were the following: 

• Movement and access 
• Heritage, character and identity 
• Richness of natural resources 
• Uses, commercial diversity and local amenities 

• Global Windsor 
• Local Governance 

 

The overall vision for Windsor, Andrew Durrant explained, was “an attractive, thriving and welcoming town for the local and global community”. The five Vision Statements were: 

• Transport and movement: “Develop sustainable, convenient & affordable options to travel into Windsor town centre.” 

• Built environment: “Protect and enhance the heritage, character and identity of Windsor.” 
• Natural environment: “Promote, activate and improve access to the natural assets and resources.” 
• Local community: “Create a thriving local economy of business and community partnerships that benefit from Windsor’s global brand.” 
• Global community: “Deliver a world-class visitor experience supported by a strong, diverse and resilient hospitality industry.” 

 

The Prince’s Foundation had a series of strategies and actions which fit into the mission statements: 

1.     Develop Satellite Parking Sites 

2.     Celebrate Arrival into Windsor 

3.     Invest in Improving Public Transport Connections? 

4.     Encourage a Shift to Active Travel 

5.     Discourage Unnecessary Vehicle Movement and Through-Traffic in the Town Centre 

6.     Improve Cycling and Walking Connections 

7.     Take Advantage of the River Thames for Access and Movement? 

8.     Consolidate Town Centre Parking 

9.     Maintain Priority Parking and Access 

10.  Invest in the Riverside to Create an Attractive Entrance into Windsor 

11.  Employ Guidelines and Regulations to Maintain the Character of the Heritage Core 

12.  Diversify Town Centre Uses 

13.  Nurture the Local Culture, Arts & Retail 

14.  Apply and Maintain a High-Quality Materiality of the Public Realm 

15.  Improve Engagement with the River and Riverfront 

16.  Develop a Framework for Regeneration of Riverside Parking Sites 

17.  Build a Directory of Community Groups and Partnerships 

18.  Establish a Collective Voice of Stakeholder Representation Across Windsor 

19.  Create a Register of Ownerships and Landlords 

20.  Engage with Windsor Castle and The Crown Estate 

21.  Capitalise on Royal Warrants and the Windsor Brand

 

Andrew Durrant then explained the projects in progress for 2023: 

• Installation of the Platinum Jubilee Fountain was completed in Feb 2023 though the official opening was pending. 
• Work had started on Castle Hill pedestrian improvement scheme in March 2023. 
• Work on the Windsor Footbridge (Coach Car Park) would start in spring/summer 2023 

• Addition funding was acquired for a Welcome to Windsor project to improve public realm and signage as well as to enhance resident and visitor experience. 
• A focus on public transport access and car parking arrangements under Unlocking Town Centre 

 

Andrew Durrant then explained the programme management. 

• Review existing groups and forums with involvement in Windsor before establishing any new stakeholder groups. 

• Form a Programme Board to monitor and steer progress across all vision statements and key priorities within each  
• Form task and finish groups to wrap-around the key priorities, with adequate subject matter experts to drive these forward  
• Co-production a continued dialog involving community & resident groups  
• Regional Presence where the project would consider its regional positioning and emerging work with neighbouring Berkshire authorities, to ensure that it can leverage its global brand for corporate and community benefits. 

 

After expressing approval for the project, Mr Holland, a resident, asked about its parameter (timescales, budgets, decision-making schedule). Andrew Durrant replied that Officers had a draft plan on how to take the project forward within the Council, which would then feature a prioritisation workshop to ensure there were clear parameters and timescales. 

 

An objective, Andrew Durrant explained, was to distil down the 21 actions and strategies to make them more manageable and assign key officers. He added that The Prince’s Foundation would like to remain very close to the project. He also stated that delivering the project may require additional support other than exclusively the Council and The Prince’s Foundation, and therefore Officers would seek to bring additional people on board.

 

Andrew Durrant then explained that there were budget lines within the approved budget to enable support for this project. There was already some investment from the Local Enterprise Partnership which would allow some objectives to be achieved sooner. 

 

The budget provision would be configured once the work scope was identified. Andrew Durrant added that as the Executive Director of Place, he would have close insight on how this project would be taken forwards. 

 

Claire, a resident, asked how the project would fit with local governance, adding that there was a democratic deficit in the Borough. She also raised that the purple ‘Welcome to Windsor’ sign near the Long Walk was falling apart and requested for this to be repaired before the Coronation of King Charles III. Andrew Durrant replied that he would investigate the aforementioned sign. He added that programme management needed some development, whereby the Borough made progress “in pockets” (e.g., Castle Hill project) but needed greater management and oversight in other projects, such as place making. 

 

ACTION: Andrew Durrant to investigate the ‘Welcome to Windsor’ sign near the Long Walk.

 

Mr Holland asked how long it would take to formulate a basic delivery program. Andrew Durrant responded that the Borough was working on it with the end of April 2023 being the deadline according to a Cabinet report. At this point, there would a template of the governance structure and a plan. 

 

Mr Holland then asked what the timescales for identifying funding streams. Councillor Hilton explained that there would be a lot of work around the 21 actions, and these would likely not all happen at the same time; and therefore, the focus should be on planning on how to implement and fund these actions. He expected that these actions would come in phases. 

 

Councillor Hilton added that the Council did not have infinite resources; therefore, the actions needed to be prioritised and properly resourced, and once more resources became available, other actions could be worked on. 

 

Councillor Hilton then stated that an overall project plan would not be formulated by the end of April 2023; but added that there would be public consultation on the key actions and strategies. 

 

Mr Griffin asked a series of questions. Firstly, he asked what the Council’s formal position on the project was. Secondly, which Councillors were spearheading this project. Thirdly, he asked if the Vision for Windsor could be a near regular item on the agenda, stating that the Windsor Town Forum was ideal to have residents to engage on this project. 

 

The Chair replied that she was Cabinet member of the Vision for Windsor project and therefore she would be spearheading it. She agreed that the Forum was a good place for it to come as a regular item for residents to participate. She also stated that the Vision for Windsor project was taken to Cabinet and was adopted. The next stage was to formulate a programme by end of April 2023.

 

ACTION: Vision for Windsor to be an almost regular item on the agenda. 

 

Mr Wilson commented that there seemed to be poor programme management. He then asked what the cost of the Vision for Windsor so far. He also asked about some work by The Prince’s Foundation in Ascot a few years ago and then claimed the Borough ignored this. 

 

Andrew Durrant replied that he was not suggesting that there was no programme management in place but rather it needed to develop and improve upon within the authority as we turn attention to strategic schemes. Regarding costs, he stated that he needed to check this and that various factors effected the costs, such as getting The Prince’s Foundation commissioned and onboard. He stated that he could disclose the costs after checking what they were. 

 

ACTION: Andrew Durrant to disclose the costs of the Vision for Windsor. 

 

Andrew Durrant then explained that there was an officer group that was working on the Ascot High Street. The Place Team was due to meet e-partners and stakeholders in the next few weeks to take the work forwards, such as Ward Councillors, Parish Councillors and other key interested parties, to explain the timelines and work process. He added that there was a live planning application in the area as well as a supplementary planning document was to be created. 

 

Councillor Knowles commented that there were actions that the Council could do at the moment to improve Windsor rather than relying on the project, such as promoting the use of public transport and greater investment in improving facilities and areas of neglect. 

 

The Chair agreed with Councillor Knowles points, adding that the Vision for Windsor was a strategic document and did not limit what the Council could do in between. She added that there was money in budget for investment in Windsor. 

 

Councillor Davey suggested that an incentive could be offered to residents to use coaches to travel and spend money in town rather than on increased petrol fees. He also commented that he had more faith in Andrew Durrant and the Place Team to professionally manage the projects, gather information and acquire funds. He also commented that that local governance would involve the public, but the Windsor Town Forum may not be appropriate as it was not a decision-making body, and a town council may be required. 

 

Councillor Wisdom Da Costa commented that the project required a budget and then asked about the project’s budget, namely how much was the budget going to be and where was it coming from. He then commented that the Vision for Windsor project was mandated by Cabinet which was composed of Councillors who were not from Windsor. He argued that the only valid mandate for this project could be a Windsor town council or even a “supercharged town forum” composed of residents and Windsor Councillors. 

 

The Chair replied that Cabinet decisions were made with officers as well as gathering information from residents rather than being made in isolation. She added that millions of pounds were being invested into Windsor, such as the Castle Hill project and footbridge, and Cabinet would be bidding for money. She also stated that some acquired funding acquired for 2023 came from central government. She also believed that the Borough should not be limited by budget. 

 

Councillor Hilton stated that the best approach was to outline the project before establishing the budget and funding. 

 

Andrew Durrant added that the Borough needed to ensure that pipeline projects were at an advanced stage so that they could acquire funding. He stated that the work which had taken place would place the Council at a more advanced stage.