Viewpoint: 20mph zones, council tax, and split between independents

Lack of signage means speeding issues persist

The council recently installed 20mph zones in several locations, one being Norfolk Road, St Luke’s Road.

The work included redesigned and modified road junctions, raised road platforms on junctions and new signage.

This is meant to deter speeding motorists.

This would certainly work well if all junctions were given the same treatment but there is one big flaw with the Norfolk Road complex and that is that the Cookham Road – Norfolk Road junction has no signage at all.

No 20mph signs or 30mph signs at all.

The result is that the Norfolk Road and St Luke’s Road is open to speeding motorists which is happening on a regular basis.

All of this comes from a council which is pleading bankruptcy. No wonder.

Wasting money on schemes such as this which have done nothing to solve the problem of speeding in built up areas.

Mr W D CHERRY

Norfolk Road

Maidenhead
 

Poor communication on council tax increase

Communication in RBWM is a systemic problem. A quick review of the social media posts over the past few weeks offers nothing on the impending 25 per cent council tax rise, aside from a link to the budget consultation.

There has been nothing through my door and I understand there is not going to be either.

Therefore the first time most people are going to hear about the significant rise in council tax will be when the bill drops on their doorstep in March.

To hijack your correspondent John Baldwin's (Viewpoint, January 10) football analogy, the owner of my team Cardiff City once turned the colour of the club kit from its traditional blue to red.

The supporters were caught unaware, leading to mass protests and demonstrations.

Will the same happen across RBWM when that bill drops?

I sincerely hope not, but to quote an old Latin saying 'praemonitus, praemunitas'.

RICHARD ENDACOTT

Kingsfield

Windsor

Community hub left to fall into disrepair

I, like many others enjoy our weekly keep fit class at Pinder Hall in Cookham for the ‘over 50s’ but for many, many weeks now the radiators haven’t been working and several windows are cracked.

Why haven’t they been mended?

During lockdown they lost the funding they used to have which helped with repairs.

This hall is an important community hub and to let it go into disrepair is very sad.

JUNE HIGHGATE

Little Marlow

No help for pensioners on visitors’ car voucher

Because I don’t have a car, am not online, and have no computer, I cannot get a visitors’ car voucher, so I must be alone.

I am 84 years old.

I’ve written twice to Josh Reynolds – no reply. I’ve written to the town hall.

It seems like a bunch of schoolboys are in change here.

Surely pensioners should get some sort of help.

Until last summer we were able to buy vouchers once a year.

My health is not that good so it makes it more difficult.

Miss PAM SPEARMAN

Fotherby Court

Maidenhead

Speaking out on divide between independents

I’ve been asked to comment on the recent mass resignations of elected councillors from the Borough First Independents (TBFI), who currently hold seats in the Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead (RBWM).

I’ve stayed silent since resigning as leader of TBFI in November 2023, out of respect for my fellow councillors.

However, the truth must now be shared, even if it leads to criticism.

TBFI was established in 2018 to support individuals entering public life as true independents – free from party politics – offering a genuine alternative to the broken political system in our Royal Borough.

The goal was to distinguish genuine independents from former party politicians running as ‘independents’ but still aligned with party agendas.

Underpinned by values of Integrity, Collaboration, and Respect, TBFI became a strong platform for local independents as an umbrella group, with seven members elected to RBWM and forming the second-largest group on the council.

However, the recent resignations from TBFI by leading members of the independent group within the council reveal a divide.

Some councillors have criticised TBFI’s values and now support political agendas aligned with the current party leadership.

This shift contradicts the principle of putting people before politics.

One councillor has been involved in campaigning for a political party during the 2024 parliamentary elections, raising concerns about their impartiality.

In contrast, other new councillors who resigned recently have expressed continued support for TBFI’s core values and remain committed to the ideals of independents, showing respect for what was achieved between 2018 and 2023 and for their residents.

Looking ahead, the independent movement in RBWM is fractured, but the divide is not about the values of the umbrella group – it's about the broader values of independents themselves.

It’s hard to be truly independent while aligning with a political party that doesn’t always act in the best interests of residents.

The current independent group in the council seems to be complicit with the existing political leadership, suppressing opposition and free speech.

There is a coercive ‘my way or the highway’ approach, where independents fear challenging senior members, revealing a toxic culture of control and bullying.

In contrast, there are still true independents who are willing to engage in open, constructive debate about policies and the council’s failing financial
situation.

All elected members must now reflect on whether they’re truly putting residents before politics or supporting a broken political culture that undermines free speech, promotes bullying and ends in financial failure of that organisation.

We need new residents to step forward in future elections to help rebuild our local authority.

This is what TBFI set out to achieve – supporting candidates willing to serve their communities and put people first.

Unfortunately, a small number of individuals are now attacking this progressive movement and undermining those who genuinely want to make a difference.

This toxic culture must be challenged, and the true values of independents must be upheld.

Cllr DAVID BUCKLEY

TBFI, Datchet, Horton and Wraysbury

Former leader of The Borough first Independents 2020-23

Time to turn graffiti ‘despair’ into action

Your correspondent, Mr Pedersen, says he ‘despairs’ over the graffiti under the railway bridge on the Braywick Road.

Although this has been removed and cleaned several times, more has appeared in another area.

Last year, Robyn Bunyan, the town centre manager, set up the town centre clean up team which tackled graffiti, waste bin vape stickers, litter and other similar matters in the town centre and further afield.

Robyn secured the necessary funds from RBWM for equipment, and a splendid jet washer was purchased which successfully removed graffiti and did not damage the underlying surface.

I have been part of the team on several occasions, which removed all the offending graffiti from the bridge supports on the station side.

As I know from my own experience as a caretaker in local schools, once the graffiti is removed the perpetrators see this as ‘a blank canvas’ to add some more of their handywork.

One member of the team was an ace at this removal but, sadly, he has recently moved out of the area.

Mr Pedersen says he has the equipment, but I notice does not have the time or inclination to remove this graffiti that so offends him.

If he contacts Robyn I am sure she will ensure he is ‘adopted’ by the team and receive the necessary training to address his ‘despair!’

MERVYN BUSTON

East Road

Maidenhead

Does MP voting record reflect locals’ views?

There have been two high profile recent votes in parliament : Assisted Dying Bill and the vote for a public inquiry on grooming gangs.

On the former bill I understand that Joshua Reynolds MP, voted in support of the bill – which will now move to a second reading – and in this month’s debate he, along with our Prime Minister, Chancellor and a number of other high-profile ministers abstained from the vote.

It would be interesting to hear the views of local residents as to whether these actions fairly represented the majority views of Maidenhead residents or whether these personal views are at odds with the local population at large?

GRAHAM PEDERSEN

Lowbrook Drive

Maidenhead

Remembering the war at heritage centre

Maidenhead Heritage Centre is asking local residents to contribute to an exhibition to be held in April and May to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War.

National celebrations will take place around the country and the Heritage Centre hopes Advertiser readers whose families lived in the area during World War II will be willing to share their memories.

All memories of the war years, whether direct or handed down the generations, are equally valuable when it comes to producing a true picture of what life in Maidenhead or while serving in the forces elsewhere was really like.

Readers who would like to be contribute in any way are asked to contact the Heritage Centre in Park Street or phone 01628 780555.

RICHARD POAD

Trustee, Maidenhead Heritage Centre 

Help track down family of men killed in action

I am writing to ask for help through your newspaper to contact friends or relatives of two Windsor men who were members of Windsor's own rowing club Eton Excelsior (EERC) and who were killed in action in the Second World War.

Anyone with information please contact me on THKWIGLEY@HOTMAIL.COM with any information.

Some details about each of them are set out below

I'm doing this simply to commemorate these brave men; “When you go home, tell them of us, and say, for your tomorrows these gave their today.”

Major Peter Augustus Edward Watson

Peter was born on February 22, 1920 to parents Thomas Watson and Dorothea ‘Doris’ Ferguson Harris.

He joined EERC in April 1936.

His family lived at 16 The Cloisters, Windsor Castle where his father was a musician employed by the Dean and Chapter of St George's Chapel.

Peter enlisted in the Royal Army Service Corps in 1938 and transferred to Royal Berkshire Regiment in June 1939.

He was involved in the Dunkirk evacuation from France between May and June 1940.

Peter married Margaret Joan Alistair Kinley in Portrush, County Antrim on August 8, 1942 and they had a daughter born in 1944. They lived in Portrush, Northern Ireland.

In June 1944 he was assigned to the 1st Battalion, South Lancashire Regiment near Caen, Normandy.

On February 27 1945 Peter was killed in action and he is buried in the Reichswald Forest War Cemetery in Germany. He was 25.

His headstone bears the inscription: “In loving memory of Peter, who gave his life for those he loved.”
 

Lieutenant Ralph Rivers-Bodilly

Ralph was born on July 7, 1922 to parents George Rivers-Bodilly and Lilian ‘Lily’ Eola Birtchnell Winter.

He had an older sister Valerie Eda (b 1918) who also rowed.

He joined EERC in June 1938.

His family lived at 58 Kings Road, Windsor in 1939 when Ralph joined the Royal Artillery (931595).

He was in the Royal Berkshire Regiment in 1940 and later joined the Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry.

He was killed in action on December 29, 1943 at Sangro River in Italy and is buried in the war cemetery there. He was 21.

THOMAS WIGLEY

Mayfield Drive

Windsor

Geopolitical impact as well as financial loss

It comes as little surprise that there is a huge gap between the UK's GDP and the estimated cost of Brexit to the UK's trade with the EU.

GDP is the monetary measure of ALL goods and services within the country over a specified period of time.

Of necessity, that will always be greater than any amount of export trade; it's inconceivable it could be otherwise, and thus is another obfuscating tactic to which those with either a poor or no argument in favour of their broken Brexit will roll out.

As so often stated though, the financial loss to the UK is not the only harm derived from those who imposed the Leave vote upon us.

As the disturbing spectre of Donald Trump ascends to the most powerful political seat in the world, with his support for Putin, his threat to impose import tariffs and to disrupt the world by threatening to take by force Greenland, Panama and possibly Canada, it would have been beneficial for the EU to oppose this with a nation of 70million people in its ranks rather than without.

Diminished as the EU is by Brexit, in geopolitical terms, the UK is far more so.

JAMES AIDAN

Sutton Road

Cookham

Seeking wrong solution to recover economy

Sixteen years ago, on January 19 2009, the late Alistair Darling, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, announced that he had set up an ‘Asset Purchase Facility’.

It was to be managed by the Bank of England, and at that stage its mission was to buy up illiquid commercial assets using money provided by the Treasury.

However that quickly morphed into the Bank creating new money and using it to buy up government bonds, ‘gilts’, from the very liquid secondary market.

Given that the Treasury continued to issue new gilts in parallel to the Bank mopping up previously issued gilts, in effect this was a scheme to rig the market.

Why was that necessary? Because the previous Chancellor, Gordon Brown, had been over-confident about future growth of the economy and tax revenues.

Consequently, when the global financial crisis struck in 2008 the government soon found itself having to borrow a quarter of all the money it was spending.

At its peak in 2022 the Asset Purchase Facility held £875billion of gilts, and last November it still held £655billion, about a quarter of all the gilts in issue.

This must easily make the Bank the government's largest creditor, which raises questions about which body now has greatest control over economic policy.

The plain fact is that the UK economy has never fully recovered from that 2008 crisis; its previous trend growth rate of 2.5 per cent a year has been halved.

But what is the solution? Certainly not cosying up to China, or negotiating a customs union with the EU, or seeking a low value trade deal with the US.

Dr D R COOPER

Belmont Park Avenue

Maidenhead