Over 1,700 people sign petition over spiked fence around car park

More than 1,500 people have signed a petition calling on Slough council to review its decision to erect a spiked fence around a car park in Cippenham.

In August, residents launched a petition, with the support of ward councillor Frank O’Kelly (Lib Dem, Cippenham Village), after security fencing was installed around a car park near Eltham Avenue Recreation Ground.

Slough Borough Council erected the fence to use the car park for school minibuses which are used as part of its ‘home to school’ transport service for children.

But the move has attracted widespread opposition with 1,712 people backing a petition which calls on the council to review its decision.

This triggered a debate for the issue to be discussed at Thursday’s full council meeting held at Slough Borough Council’s Windsor Road headquarters.

During the full council meeting, resident Jen Simpson addressed the council and said the lack of communication between the local authority and its residents was ‘a blow to the heart’ of the community.

She said residents were not consulted before the fence was put up. Cllr O’Kelly told the meeting that there are six ward councillors covering the Cippenham area and that they were not consulted either.

Ms Simpson said: “The intrusive and obstructive fence erected around Eltham Avenue car park has caused real harm, physically, socially and symbolically.

“Its presence is not only an intrusion on a well-used community space. It has become a symbol of the disconnect between Slough Borough Council and its residents.”

FC Cippenham, a youth football team, and other community groups use the recreation space next to the car park, which includes changing rooms and an outdoor gym.

Ms Simpson said these people have been ‘sidelined’, with their ability to access the outdoor gym now limited.

For residents with mobility issues and disabilities, she said the only point of access to Eltham Avenue Recreation Ground is through a ‘muddy walkway’.

But the leader of the council, Cllr Dexter Smith (Con, Colnbrook and Poyle) said: “Eltham Avenue remains fully open to residents and community groups.

“Nothing the council has done prevents anyone from accessing the green open space, booking the football pitches, using the changing rooms or the car park. All this remains exactly as it was.”

Cllr Smith said the fence helps keep secure 24 council minibuses used to transport vulnerable children and young people with special education needs to and from school.

However, other councillors backed residents’ concerns.

Cllr O’Kelly said: “To say that [the access] has not changed is not factually correct. There is an impact on your eyes. It looks like an industrial park.”

“I’d really like a pause for breath and instead of the council saying, ‘we’ve done everything right’, take a step backwards, get some objective opinions in here and help the residents regain access to the outdoor space.”

He added that the 8ft-tall fence has also had a ‘massive impact’ on the green space.

Cllr Mark Instone (Lab, Langley Foxborough) said: “We need to remember that the council is not some high-handed authoritarian group. Slough Council should be the servant of the people and it’s important that we don’t forget this.”

He said ‘a little consultation’ would have avoided this ‘quite concerning’ issue.

Cllr Robert Anderson (Lab, Britwell) said: “Of course we need somewhere to park community transport, but they don’t have to be parked [in the Eltham Avenue car park]

“We’re sitting next to a multi-storey car park… What about St Martin’s Place, [a] 160-space car park sitting there doing absolutely zit for the last two and a half years?”

Cllr Anderson added that from what he heard during the meeting ‘it is clear’ that ward councillors did not know what was going on.

But Cllr Smith reminded councillors that the Eltham Avenue car park has 72 spaces, of which 48 are still open for public use.

He said: “To suggest that we didn’t give consideration to the impact [on residents] is simply not true. What we have done is perfectly reasonable. It could have done better, I accept that.”

A report set out that whether or not the petition will be recommended further to Slough Council’s cabinet, would be ‘considered’ after talking to residents.

But councillors unanimously agreed that the petition ‘should’ be heard by cabinet.

The council’s cabinet committee will thus engage with residents, community groups and ward councillors to agree on a way forward.