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Complete our survey to guide priorities for four extra police officers dedicated to Royal Borough
You
are invited to help shape the priorities for four extra police officers
who will be dedicated to tackling crime and anti-social behaviour in
the Royal Borough.
We
are investing in four additional warranted police officers for the
Royal Borough, over and above the existing police establishment for the
area, to support community safety and enhanced local partnership working
between us and the police.
The
first initiative of its kind within the Thames Valley force area, these
extra officers will initially be in place for three years, and
communities are invited to complete a survey to help guide which local
policing and community safety issues should be the initial priorities
for them.
To take part in the survey, which closes on Monday 20 March, please visit the RBWM Together website.
In addition, there are a limited number of spaces
available for an event involving key partners on Friday 17 March, which
will also help to shape the police officers’ priorities and partnership
work involving them. If you would like to register your interest, please
visit the Royal Borough Community Safety Summit webpage.
Learn more in our police priorities press release.
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Successful bid will see new school built for children with complex special educational needs
We have been successful in our bid to the
Government to have a new school for children with special educational
needs built in the area, further improving local provision for children
with complex needs.
The
Department for Education has selected the Royal Borough to have one of
33 new Special Free Schools being created nationally, which will allow
more children with special educational needs to attend a school locally.
The
new school will provide up to 100 places for pupils aged seven to 16
who have a complex range of Social, Emotional and Mental Health and
associated needs identified in their Education, Health and Care Plans
(EHCP).
The
planned location for the school forms part of a wider housing-led
development site, known as Land West of Windsor, north and south of the
A308, which is allocated in our Borough Local Plan.
Read our special education needs press release to learn more.
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Placemaking in the Royal Borough
During
March, we’re taking a focus in the Resident Newsletter on our work with
partners to drive inclusive and sustainable investment, growth and
regeneration, for the benefit of our communities.
To
kick-start our campaign, Andrew Durrant, our Executive Director of
Place, explains more about our important “Place-making” agenda.
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An extraordinary place
The Royal Borough is an extraordinary place, rich
in its natural assets, historical buildings, outstanding schools, iconic
sports venues, and Windsor Castle hosting some of the most-watched
ceremonial events the world has seen. But of course, it is also home to
more than 150,000 residents who have a variety of needs and ambitions
for the place they call home.
When we speak about “Place-making”, it is
essentially the process of balancing all these elements to create a
place where people and communities want to live, work, and play. Whilst
also creating the right environment to attract investment and growth
from business and central government. One critical thing Place-making
must tackle is improving the quality of place whilst often managing
opposition or concerns about change.
At the Royal Borough, as a place leader, we are
working diligently with different partners and stakeholders to ensure
that all investment and growth are supported with the right
infrastructure, schemes are well planned as a statutory function and
most importantly are genuinely inclusive for our communities both now
and into the future.
Strategic Plans
In addition to the Corporate Plan, with a firm
emphasis on creating thriving communities and inspiring places, our
Borough Local Plan clearly sets out the strategic sites for development
and regeneration for the foreseeable future. However, with an inclusive
economy these sites are not enough by themselves. As an example, the
borough is already working with key employment sectors, showing real
growth locally that present exciting opportunities for our young people
to take forward careers – the life sciences sector is a great example of
this.
Town Centre Placemaking
Each of our major towns have either ongoing or
recently started Place-making activity. It was pleasing to receive
unanimous approval for the Vision for Windsor project recently and this
year a number of schemes are anticipated to respond positively to local
needs and issues identified. In Ascot, council officers have started
work to reinvigorate the High Street as part of a previous scheme to
enhance the public realm alongside future developments, and create more
active travel opportunities and connectivity to our key transport hubs.
Equally, if we take Maidenhead and all of the
opportunity it offers as the commercial centre of our borough, and now
amazing connections to London with the Elizabeth Line, making
it a great business location and place to live. Its increasing
restaurant offer and high-quality schools add to its attractiveness as a
town and its stunning river frontage and green spaces offer a very high
quality of life.
A council delivering
We are certainly a council bouncing back after the
challenges of the past few years. With an approved balance budget for
2023/24, we are in a good position to change gear when it comes to
quality Place-making, whilst also creating greater confidence in the
market for investment.
Here are just a few things to look out for this year
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Missing Links Infrastructure - Working with the Local Enterprise Partnership, we’ve recently completed the Missing Links
cycle project to provide easy and safe access between the Town Moor to
the North East of Maidenhead Town Centre and the railway station
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New Homes – Construction of the St Cloud Way
redevelopment will shortly get underway on the site of the former
Magnet Leisure Centre. Working in partnership with Countryside, this
will see more than 400 new homes delivered, including affordable rent
and shared ownership
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Decarbonising the council’s estate – We’ve secured £1.56 million to deliver low-carbon energy upgrades to schools in the Borough.
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Castle Hill & Fountain – Public realm upgrades
in Castle Hill and St Alban’s Street will shortly get underway, which
together with the new Jubilee drinking fountain will improve the overall
experience for residents and visitors in Windsor town centre.
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Level 2 Cold Weather Alert for next week
The Met Office has issued a Level 2 Cold Weather Alert for across England, which is due to last from the early hours of next Monday 6 March until midnight on Wednesday.
A
Level 2 means there’s a 60 per cent chance of severe cold, ice and snow
during that time with increased health risks to older people, those
with underlying health conditions and young children.
Please
check in on your vulnerable family, friends, and neighbours to make
sure they have enough food and medicine, and that their homes are warm
enough.
For more advice on keeping well during cold weather visit the NHS website or Frimley Health and Care’s website.
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Calling all parents! Respond to your child’s school place offer
Calling all parents! If your child is moving up to secondary, middle, or upper school in September 2023, please respond by Wednesday 15 March to let us know if you wish to accept or decline the offer of the school place made to your child.
If
you applied online using the Citizen's Portal, you will be able to log
into your account to view the outcome and accept or decline your offer
and you will also receive an email confirming the outcome of your
application.
If
you applied using a paper common application form or our Google online
form, you will not be able to access the admissions portal and your
outcome letter will be dispatched via first class post providing
information about the outcome and how to respond.
To learn more, please visit our website.
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Thousands enter Coronation Concert local ballot
We
have had a fantastic response to our ballot for one of the 500 pairs of
free tickets allocated to our residents for the Coronation Concert in
the grounds of Windsor Castle on Sunday 7 May.
Almost
3,000 of you entered the ballot, which closed this week, for a chance
to attend the once-in-a-lifetime concert the day after King Charles
III’s coronation at Westminster Abbey.
What do I have to do now?
The
BBC’s official partner Ticketmaster will contact the successful
entrants who have been randomly selected in both the local and national
ballot.
If you’ve been successful, Ticketmaster
will email you in the next few weeks with instructions on how to accept
the tickets. You will then be asked to claim your tickets and confirm
your attendance. You will have 14 days in which to claim your ticket and
you will be sent reminders by email during this period.
The
ticket will be hosted on the Ticketmaster site and must be presented on
your phone when entering the event. Paper tickets are not available and
are strictly non-transferable.
The
information will also include security measures and practical
information about the event like entry and exit points and timings. If
you are not one of the lucky recipients, you won’t miss out as the
concert will be broadcast live on the BBC for everyone to watch.
Good luck everyone.
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Guildhall history at a glance - eight facts about the backdrop for the Windsor Framework announcement
The
Windsor Guildhall was the setting for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and
President of the European Commission Ursula Von Der Leyen to announce
the historic Windsor Framework this week.
We
asked the team at the Windsor & Royal Borough Museum to tell us
more about the historical items that were in view throughout the
broadcast of the announcement.
Eight things which can be seen:
1. Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead coat of arms –
Windsor Castle is pictured on a hill with branches and the leaves
representing the oak forests which once surrounded the town, along with a
heraldic gold lion. The white horse represents Berkshire
2. Chandeliers on loan from Royal Collection Trust –
George IV commissioned the three chandeliers (c.1828-30). Made of
brass they each have 60 lights, which would have originally been
candles. The third is hanging Windsor Castle’s Queen’s Guard Chamber
3. Portrait of Queen Elizabeth II hangs directly opposite a portrait of Prince Philip.
She visited the Guildhall on several occasions including as Princess
Elizabeth the year before becoming Queen, and most recently, as part of
her 90th birthday celebrations in 2016, meeting twenty 90-year-old local
residents
4. Door to the Ascot Room where His Majesty King Charles married the Queen Consort, Camilla, in
April 2005 in front of 15 guests, including William, Prince of Wales
and Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex. On 21 December of the same year, Elton
John and his partner David Furnish, had their Civil Partnership
ceremony on the first day they were allowed to take place in England and
Wales
5. King George V and Queen Mary.
The portraits were given to the Guildhall in 1917 to mark the family
changing their German name of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha to Windsor. The frames
are made of oak from Windsor Great Park
6. Dais and throne chair -
The Council Chamber served as a Magistrates' Court from 1690-1971, you
can still see the raised area at the front of the room (dais) and
railings where the Mayor, who was Chief Magistrate would sit. The
man who attempted to assassinate Queen Victoria in 1882, Roderick
Maclean, was tried for high treason here. He spent the rest of his life
in Broadmoor after being found “guilty, but insane”
7. Carver chairs -
The 26 carved wooden chairs are still used for functions today and bear
the crest of the borough charter of 1276 and the Monarch’s Coat of Arms
(originally Edward I) a deer representing the town and the castle
8. Royal portraits –
There is an original painting of every Monarch since Elizabeth I to
Elizabeth II (two of Queen Victoria and two of Queen Elizabeth II). The
only exceptions are George I and II as they are rumoured not to have
liked Windsor.
When
the room is available, 40-minute tours can be booked on the day at
Windsor Museum. Opening times and details can be found on the Windsor & Royal Borough Museum website.
The
Guildhall can be hired for a range of events including weddings, civil
ceremonies and corporate events. The Council Chamber can also be used
for private dining opportunities and drinks receptions - contact the
event team at the Guildhall to find out more (guildhall@rbwm.gov.uk).
Advantage Card holders also qualify for a discount on room hire.
Learn more on the Visit Windsor website.
Photo © 10 Downing Street
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Royal Borough libraries celebrate World Book Day
Thank you to everyone who visited our libraries for World Book Day yesterday.
It
was great to see so many children dressed up as their favourite book
characters, our team at Maidenhead Library also joined in on the fun!
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Last chance to take part in our World Café survey
Have
you attended one of our award-winning World Cafés in the past year? If
so, we’d love to hear your thoughts and check if their format is right
for you.
If you’ve not been to one, we’re also keen to find out why as it could be something we could solve.
Thank you to everyone who has taken part in our survey so far, if you haven’t completed it yet you have until next week (Monday 6 March) to share your feedback with us.
Our World Cafes, run in partnership with NHS Frimley, bring local residents and community organisations together. The
sessions are informal, allowing you to have honest conversations about
what matters most in your neighbourhood, get support if needed, and work
with us to find community-based solutions.
Every
ward in the Royal Borough will have a World Café, and eleven wards have
been visited already. The next one is in Boyn Hill tomorrow (Saturday 4 March), from 11am to 1pm.
The World Cafe survey is online and takes five minutes to complete.
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Discover the secrets of the Cranbourne Tower
Would
you like to discover more about the colourful history of the Grade II
listed Royal lodge in Windsor Great Park? Situated on the Windsor and
Winkfield border, the tower was once part of a much larger and grander
building, the origins of which date back to the 13th century.
Join us on Tuesday 7 March
at 7.30pm at the Windsor Guildhall for a talk by expert speaker
Leslie Grout in the regal grandeur of the Council Chamber at the
Windsor Guildhall.
Guests
will be welcomed with a glass of fizz in the Windsor & Royal
Borough Museum at 6.30pm and will have the opportunity to see items on
display in the museum before proceeding to take a seat upstairs in the
Council Chamber at 7.30pm.
Learn more and book your tickets on the Visit Windsor website.
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Sign up for Parallel Windsor
You can now sign up and make history by volunteering or taking part in Festival of Inclusivity events at the inaugural Parallel Windsor 2023 on Sunday 2 July.
Taking
place on the Long Walk in Windsor Great Park, the event will be open
for all ages, health conditions and abilities, featuring a charity
village, food and a range of activities including live music, arts and
crafts, and more.
There is also the Start Together, Finish Whenever challenge events which range from 100m to all the way 10K.
If you have an Advantage Card, you can also get a 10% discount on tickets. Visit our website to apply for one if you don’t have one already.
Learn more and sign up today on the Parallel website.
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Royal Borough Community Spotlight
Here are just some of the upcoming community events in the Royal Borough:
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Real Lives 2023 (Tuesday 7 to
Sunday 12 March) St Mary’s Church, Maidenhead. Join St Mary’s for a week
of real life-changing stories. Glen Scrivener will interview a range of
people with different but powerful stories about the impact of Jesus
Christ on their lives and the real hope he gives. There will be six days
of relaxed and informal events with refreshments and, on Saturday
evening, a performance. earn more on the Real Lives website
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Chamber Philharmonic Europe concert
(Thursday 9 March, 8pm) – Norden Farm, Maidenhead. Chamber Philharmonic
Europe is an orchestra which recruits talented young musicians from 18
European nations. Founded in Cologne in 2006, it has achieved an
outstanding artistic level and tours widely across Europe. Enjoy an
evening of favourites for strings as well as Hummel’s wonderful Trumpet
Concerto with soloist Cyrill Gussaroff. Learn more and book on the Maidenhead Music Society website
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Age Concern Windsor open morning
(Tuesday 14 March, 10am to noon) – Spencer Denny Centre, Park Corner.
Organisations, social groups, and support service suppliers will be
coming to showcase what is going on in Windsor and what support is
available. Everyone is welcome. For more information visit the Age Concern Windsor website, email info@ageconcernwindsor.org.uk or phone 01753 860685 Tuesday to Friday
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Charity Zumba Glow Party
(Friday 17 March, 7pm to 8.30pm) – Furze Platt Senior School. Four
local instructors will be taking part in the event which is raising
money for Alzheimer’s Society, MS Society and Ovarian Cancer Society.
Tickets are available by emailing nikisdancefit@gmail.com or calling 07976 831517
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Eton Action Fair
(Saturday 18 March, 11am to 4pm) – Eton College. Now in its 48th year,
the grounds of Eton College will once again be transformed into a
charity fair including games, stalls, and performances organised by
Eton’s students and staff to raise money for five charities supported by
Eton Action this academic year. The College has arranged games and
attractions for children and adults alike, such as The Ocean Express
Play Bus, Berkshire Birds of Prey experiences, an inflatable assault
course and much more. Learn more on the Eton Action Fair website
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Royal Free Singers 50th Anniversary Gala Concert
(Saturday 25 March, 7.30pm) – Windsor Parish Church. The Royal Free
Singers are delighted to be performing Mendelssohn's dramatic 1846
oratorio depicting events in the life of the Old Testament prophet,
Elijah, which was hailed as the Messiah of its day. The variety, beauty
and energy of the many arias and choruses of this most popular choral
piece make it a very fitting choice to celebrate their special
Anniversary. Learn more and book your tickets on the Royal Free Singers website. Tickets are also available at the door and at the Royal Windsor Information Centre at the Windsor Guildhall
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Easter Fair
(Sunday 2 April, 12pm to 4pm) – The Pirate Park, Windsor. An easter
fair featuring craft stalls, a children’s farm, an Easter Egg hunt,
bonnet making competition and more. Visit the Clewer and Dedworth website to learn more
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Thames Hospice Jazz Fundraiser (Friday
28 April, 6.30pm to 10pm) – The Old Court, Windsor. A Jazz Quartet from
the Syd Lawrence Orchestra, performing music from the Great American
Songbook, and Jazz standards in aid of the Thames Hospice. Learn more
and book tickets on the Old Court website
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Take part in the Our Maidenhead mural
(Thursdays, 2pm to 4pm) – Craft Coop Maidenhead, Nicholsons Centre.
Join Maidenhead Craft Coop to celebrate Maidenhead’s rich heritage,
colourful history and iconic landmarks as they create a mixed-media
textile mural. Pop in on Thursday afternoons or visit the Craft Coop website to learn more.
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 more than 21,000 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 and surveys to get your views on proposals within the Royal Borough.
Participating, sharing ideas, and giving your feedback is the best way to ensure your views are heard.
Our current consultations are:
Other local consultations
Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service (RBFRS) are running a consultation on their Corporate Plan and Community Risk Management Plan feedback which closes on Monday 27 March.
Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust is also
asking for views on options for a redeveloped or relocated Royal
Berkshire Hospital. Take part in their online survey or visit the Building Berkshire Together website to learn more.
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Local Travel Updates
The A404(M) between junction 9b and the Holyport Interchange will be closed for the full weekend southbound from:
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9pm today (Friday 3 March) until 6am on Monday 6 March
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9pm on Friday 10 March until 6am on Monday 13 March
A signed diversion will be in place via the A4 and A308. Visit the National Highways website to learn more.
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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