Please share with friends, family and neighbours in the borough so they can keep up to date. Sign up here if you've received a forwarded copy.
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Thank you for recycling more and wasting less
We're pleased to have
seen an increase in our recycling rate as a borough following our
switch to fortnightly waste collections for black bins, while
maintaining weekly collections for recycling and food waste.
We
would like to thank everyone for their efforts in supporting the
revised collection regime after figures show people are choosing to
dispose of less in their black waste bins, and recycle more of what they
throw away.
Based
on the tonnages of material collected, the recycling rate for 2021/22
was 55.7%, compared to a rate of 51% for the 2020/21 financial year, and
45% in 2019/20.
There
has been an 18% decrease in the amount of waste being disposed of in
refuse bins, with 23,303 tonnes collected in 2021/22, compared to 28,497
the previous year. Meanwhile, food waste recycling collected increased
from 2,548 tonnes in 2020/21 to 4,664 tonnes in 2021/22 – an increase of
83%.
Councillor Andrew Johnson, leader of the council, said: "These
figures are great news and justify our decision to switch to
fortnightly waste collections in October and I’d like to thank our
residents for embracing this change.
"It is only through your efforts that we have achieved such an
impressive set of figures just six months into the new regime. Please
keep up the good work as we are already seeing the benefits in support
of our Environment and Climate Strategy."
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We’re making £150 payments from Government to help residents with energy costs
Residents
in the Royal Borough, who pay Council Tax by Direct Debit and live in
Band A to D properties, are starting to receive their £150 energy rebate
payments from this week.
Most
households in Council Tax Bands A to D are getting a one-off award of
£150 from the Government in 2022/23 to help with increased energy costs.
The money does not have to be repaid.
The
process for making these payments is different depending on whether an
eligible resident pays Council Tax by Direct Debit or not.
Direct Debit payers (Bands A to D) – no action needed
No
action is needed for the 72 per cent of all Band A to D households in
the Royal Borough who pay by Direct Debit. The council is using Direct
Debit details to pay the money automatically into people’s bank
accounts, unless there is a query due to the liable party name being
different.
This
payment process is expected to run for up to two weeks. No confirmation
of payment will be issued so please check the account you use to pay
your Direct Debit.
Non Direct Debit payers (Bands A to D) – complete the form
If you live in a Band A to D property and do not pay Council Tax by Direct Debit, please complete an online grant form
to provide bank account and other requested details. You will be asked
to input you property reference number and Council Tax account number
from your Council Tax bill.
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Share your experiences in our community safety survey
The
Royal Borough Community Safety Partnership brings together the council,
police, and other organisations to work together to reduce crime,
anti-social behaviour, drugs, and alcohol issues in the area.
We
are running a short survey to gain a better understanding of how safe
residents and frequent visitors of the borough feel and to gather your
experiences of local crime and disorder.
Your
valuable feedback, combined with other data and intelligence from our
partner agencies, will help the partnership set its priorities for the
year and inform and shape our community safety work and initiatives.
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When are our next Local elections?
Some
parts of the country held local elections yesterday. The Royal Borough
elections and local Parish Council elections are held every four years,
so our next scheduled elections are in May 2023.
If you're eligible to vote but not on the electoral register, you can get ahead and register today on the Government website.
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Mind Your Health
This May, we are running a month-long communications campaign inspired by Mental Health Awareness Week which takes place next week (Monday 9 to Sunday 15 May).
The
theme for this year’s awareness week is loneliness. The pandemic has
caused many of us to lose contact with our friends, family and
communities, and the loneliness caused by this can put you at greater
risk of physical and mental health conditions.
We’ve also highlighted the Fantastic Fred Experience,
an NHS roadshow which has already visited 25 primary schools in the
Royal Borough, showing children how they can look after their mental
health.
Next
week, we’ll look at loneliness, the negative impact it can have on your
health and the local support resources available to you.
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Last chance to share snaps of your Royal Jubilee and Coronation memorabilia for exhibition at libraries
You have until next week (Thursday 12 May)
to share your photos of Royal Jubilee street parties and memorabilia
dating from Her Majesty The Queen’s previous milestone anniversaries, to
help create an exciting exhibition for her Platinum year.
Our Library Service want to see copies of your old snaps of street
parties and other celebrations held locally for the jubilees in 1977,
2002 and 2012, or the Coronation in 1953. They’re also appealing for
photos of people’s commemorative collectables, whether that be crockery,
ornaments, tea towels or postage stamps.
The 70 Years 70 Photos
photographic exhibition will see those images put on display around
local libraries, ahead of the main Platinum Jubilee weekend in June.
Please email your scanned photos, or digital copies, of past street parties and
posting on Twitter, using the hashtag #70Years70Photos. By sending photos,
you confirm they are your photos, and you give permission for their
reproduction.
One lucky person will also be chosen at random to win a new book about The
Queen. The project is funded by Arts Council England money provided via
Libraries Connected, the national sector support organisation for libraries.
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Highway measures for Royal Windsor Horse Show
We're looking forward to this year's Royal Windsor Horse Show, taking place next week (Wednesday 11 May to Sunday 15 May). This is a great event for the Royal Borough which will bring lots of visitors to the area.
To
help ensure the smooth flow of traffic, and to ensure the safety of all
road users, please be aware that several temporary highway measures
will be in place. These include:
- No
vehicles, except coaches, will be allowed to make a right turn onto the
B470 King Edward VII Avenue from any gateway off the Home Park (public)
between 3pm and 10.30pm each day
- No
vehicles will be allowed to make a left turn onto the B470 King Edward
VII Avenue from the King Edward VII Avenue Car Park from 3pm until
10.30pm each day
- Vehicles
will not be allowed to drive westbound along the B470 Windsor Road,
from its junction with Queens Road, Datchet to its junction with the
B470 King Edward VII Avenue, except with official permission, between
10.30pm and midnight each day.
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Wine tasting evenings at the Windsor Guildhall
The Windsor Guildhall is collaborating with Berkshire Fizz to offer three unique wine tasting evenings at the Guildhall.
The
events promise to be a fun way to spend an evening: you can sharpen
your wine tasting skills and learn all about the wonderful world of
sparkling wine and champagne in the stunning environment of the
beautiful Council Chamber.
Upcoming events include:
-
Thursday 19 May 7-9pm - 'Sparkling Wines of the World'
-
Thursday 16 June 7-9pm - Champagne blind wine tasting
-
Thursday 14 July 7-9pm - 'The Rosé Revolution'.
The sessions are fun and informal with no previous wine tasting experience required.
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Get involved in local town forum meetings
If
you want to get involved and suggest topics for future town forum
meetings which discuss issues affecting Maidenhead and Windsor towns,
please email your ideas.
You
can suggest topics for future meetings of the Maidenhead Town Forum and
Windsor Town Forum as well as attend the virtual meetings and
contribute to the discussions. Agendas are published a week in advance
so you can see what councillors will be discussing and get involved if
there is something you are interested in.
Your
suggestions for discussion will be considered by members of the two
meetings and then added to a future agenda if appropriate.
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Calling out inaccurate Mail on Sunday article
You
might have spotted a very misleading and inaccurate article in last
week’s Mail on Sunday and the Mail Online about York House in Windsor,
suggesting incorrectly that it is a council office and that it is
largely empty.
In
fact, York House was refurbished to provide quality rental office space
for businesses to support our economic development ambitions and
generate income to support council services. It is currently fully let,
generating around £700,000 a year towards council services, with the
council just using the shared meeting room and conferencing space there.
When
York House reopened in 2019, we trialled for a short period a small
customer services point on the ground floor. However, this had low usage
because Windsor residents with enquiries continued to visit the
library, which has been our main customer services point since 2017.
When the opportunity arose to let out the ground floor space at York
House, the reception point was closed based on its low usage.
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Royal Borough community spotlight
Here are just some of the upcoming community events in the Royal Borough:
-
Community Participation Coffee Morning
(11am – 1pm Saturday 7 May) – Eton Wick Village Hall. Learn about the
history of Eton Wick and discover local groups for all ages to take part
in. Light refreshments will also be available in the tearoom. More
information is available in the event flyer
-
Maidenhead Choral Society concert
(7.30pm Saturday 7 May) – St Luke’s Church, Maidenhead. Maidenhead
Choral Society will perform Haydn's Nelson Mass and Mozart Requiem with
professional soloists. Tickets are available on at £10 on the door or on
their website
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Enter Craft Coop’s Platinum Jubilee competition - To
celebrate Her Majesty's Platinum Jubilee, Craft Coop Windsor are
holding a competition for all ages to create a piece of art that
represents the Jubilee. The competition is free to enter either as a
group or individual, using any art technique you like (even recycled
materials). Winners across four age categories will receive a £70
prize. The deadline for submissions is Friday 13 May, learn more on the Craft Coop website
-
Spring Bazaar and Community Showcase
(Saturday 21 May, 10am - 12.30pm) - St Mark’s Church, Maidenhead. Come
along to find out about the large number of community groups and
activities on site for all ages. On sale will be cakes, plants,
stationery, crafts, bric-a-brac, books and refreshments to enjoy with
friends. Entry is free. Learn more on the St Marks website
-
Friday night music
(7.30pm Friday 27 May) – St Mark’s Church, Maidenhead. An evening of
music featuring classics from Buddy Holly, the Everly Brothers, Elvis
and more. Tickets are £5 on the door, with all proceeds going to the new
youth mental health unit at Wexham Park Hospital. Learn more on the St Marks website
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Jubilee party
(12-5pm Saturday 4 June) – Holyport War Memorial Hall. Holyport
Community Trust are holding Jubilee party with lots to do, buy & eat
inside and outside the hall including trade stalls, face painting, BBQ,
prosecco and Pimms stalls, afternoon tea, beer tent, Little Muddy Me
play area & more. Profits will go towards the children’s playground
rebuild in the hall grounds. Entry is free
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Volunteer with your local Goodgym
– The Windsor and Maidenhead branch of Goodgym regularly meet to help
our charities and community projects in the Royal Borough. They combine
volunteering with getting fit and being sociable. In the coming weeks
they are doing everything from fence painting and gardening to scrub
removal and surveying bats. Visit the Goodgym website for more details and to get involved
If
you have an upcoming not-for-profit community event or activity you’d
like to promote in this newsletter simply send basic information about
your event to communications@rbwm.gov.uk and it could be shared with over 19,000 local residents.
You
just need to include a brief description, when and where it takes
place, and a link to a website/social media page/contact where people
can find out more.
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Have your say
We regularly hold consultations to get your views on proposals within the Royal Borough.
Responding to our consultations and giving your feedback is the best way to ensure your views are heard.
Our current consultations are:
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M4 updates
The M4 is due to be closed between Junctions 6 and 8/9 from 10pm today until 6am on Monday 9 May.
The M4 is also due to be closed eastbound only between Junctions 6 (Slough) and 5 (Langley) from 8pm on Saturday 14 May until 6am on Monday 16 May.
For details of council works on highways, visit our website. For full local roadwork details, including work by utility firms, please visit the One Network website.
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Keep in touch
Other accounts you may be interested in:
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