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

The Chair informed that she wanted to make the Forum more inclusive to residents.

Jess Hunter, a resident, raised the issue of traffic through the Town Centre and Park Street, namely the issue of buses and taxis parked along Park Street.

Councillor Tisi highlighted some suggested items from the minutes from the previous meeting. These included management and planting of trees, the state of the Windsor Leisure Centre, repair and maintenance of highways, and family services.

Jim O’Shea, a resident, expressed preference for items which were resident-focused, such as infrastructure and transport, rather than tourist-related items, and cover the whole of Windsor rather than the Town Centre. The Chair agreed that she would like to ensure that there were topics which covered the whole of Windsor and not just the Town Centre.

Anna Leonard, a resident, raised the issue of litter, namely litter scattered everywhere and overflowing litter bins. Councillor Knowles pointed out that there was a presentation on litter in the previous Forum meeting and that it mentioned a call back. The Chair added that residents could report issues like this to Councillors and the RBWM website.

Clare Milne, a resident, asked about adding an item on a Windsor Town Council. Councillor Karen Davies, the Lead Member for a Windsor Town Council, was in attendance to give a summary relating to a Windsor Town Council. She confirmed that the Borough was committed to conducting a community governance review on the unparished areas of Windsor, and that she would forward a motion to Full Council to start the process at the earliest opportunity.

Councillor Karen Davies added that much of the previous community governance review and evidence would be able to be carried forward. However, legally, a new review had to take place because a community governance review had to start and finish within twelve months (the previous review expired a couple of years ago). In addition, another review could not take place for another two years; however, the two-year expiry timeframe would end in July 2023. From there, a new review would take place with information and evidence from the previous governance review. Once the review started, a terms of reference would be agreed and the process would be completed within the 12 month timeframe. The established parish and town councils in the Borough would provide a framework.

Councillor Davies then explained the powers would be subjected to negotiation between the Borough and the new town council. These would be in line with other parish councils, namely starting small and gradually acquiring more powers and responsibilities.

Councillor Davies directed residents to the draft recommendations from the previous community governance review which were still on the RBWM website under Community Governance Review.

Peter Kingswood, a resident, suggested that Windsor Town Forum should be renamed to ‘New Windsor Forum’. He argued that the name ‘Windsor Town Forum’ gave the impression that it should focus on the Town Centre rather than the rest of Windsor. He also conveyed that the Windsor Town Forum encompassed the entirety of the former local authority in New Windsor and thus the Forum should have the name of this former authority. The Chair reassured that the Forum covered the whole Windsor area and not only the Town Centre.

Another resident expressed concern that there was a lack of coordination from the Highways Department whereby decisions focus on one part of Windsor and not the whole of Windsor and without consideration on the impact of other residents, such as residents along the A308. She also highlighted that the impact of the coach car park.

Regarding the point that the Forum was too focused on the Town Centre, Councillor Knowles proposed that the Forum should be named the ‘Windsor Forum’, which could then change perceptions that Forum encompasses the whole of Windsor. Councillor Da Costa seconded this proposal. The Chair and Laurence Ellis, Democratic Services Officer, pointed out that this would need to be investigated on whether a name change required a constitutional change.

ACTION: The Forum to investigate and change the name of Windsor Town Forum to ‘Windsor Forum’.

Nigel Griffin highlighted that there were parish councils which made comments on planning permissions, namely whether they supported or opposed them, and suggested that the Forum could do something similar. He also suggested that a specialist from the Planning Department could attend and explain their plans for the future, arguing that planning operation in the Borough was inefficient.

Councillor Tisi replied that there were potential conflicts of interest as some members of the Forum were members of the Windsor Development and Management (Planning) Panel. However, this was something which could be investigated.

As the installation of a Town Council would take years, up until next local elections, Councillor Da Costa suggested for the next agenda that the Forum could have some transition powers with residents having some participation. The Chair highlighted in the section in RBWM’s Constitution on Area Forums whereby the Area Forum was given some powers to spend money in unparished as delegated by Cabinet resolution in relation to local residents, businesses and organisations. She stated that this was something which could be investigated.

ACTION: The Forum to investigate with Cabinet on the Forum’s delegated powers.

Jim O’Shea suggested that the Forum format could change the format, such as external attendees speaking or presenting for 10-15 minutes. Nigel Griffin also suggested that the information should be provided in advance of the hearing. The Chair agreed that the format could have some improvements and that some items should focus on the future rather than the past.

After expressing appreciation with the Forum, Sarah Walker, a resident, asked a couple of questions. Firstly, she asked the Windsor Councillors what were top three projects in which they would endorse to secure the economic future of Windsor. Secondly, she highlighted that Windsor had many internet and digital infrastructure blackspots, asking who would handle this and how would this be done.

The Chair responded that the projects regarding economic growth which the Windsor Councillors endorsed could be discussed at the next meeting. Regarding on who would handle digital infrastructure, Andrew Durrant stated that digital strategy would sit under the remit of the Infrastructure Team.

ACTION: Councillors members of the Forum to state their top three projects they would endorse to help economic growth in Windsor.

Regarding the Town Forum possessing delegated budget powers, John Webb asked what sort of budget was possible for 2023 when the budget had already been approved. Councillor Da Costa replied that there were grants available from central government which unparished areas benefit from. Adding to his suggestion on the Forum having transitional powers, he suggested to ask an officer on what budgets were available.

ACTION: The Forum to investigate what budgets were available.

On planning, Clare Milnes asked whether interest groups could regularly give feedback on planning applications to the Forum, primarily on the major applications. Councillor Knowles suggested that how parish councils handle budgets and planning applications could be investigated.

Teresa Haggart, a resident who was chair of the Windsor and Eton Society Heritage and Environment Committee, expressed a couple of concerns on having planning applications to the Forum. She stated that discussing planning applications at the Town Forum would be premature, and that the Forum meetings would be dominated by discussions on them. She argued that the Forum would not be an appropriate place and it would be better at a Town Council.

Teresa Haggart also raised a concern that there was a lack of conservation and enforcement officers in Windsor to maintain heritage and conservation sites.

Agreeing with Teresa Haggart, Councillor Knowles suggested that the Windsor and Eton Society filters planning applications which they were concerned about to be considered by the Forum and then they themselves present the issue.

Councillor Tisi suggested that the Forum should focus on the major and controversial applications, and the Forum could compile the comments and then forward them to the planning the department.

Item suggestions:

·       Traffic in Windsor

·       Pollution monitoring levels

·       Management of existing trees and the planting of new ones

·       State of Windsor Leisure Centre

·       Repair and maintenance of local highways

·       Support provided to Family Services Unit

·       Management of Highways