ROYAL BOROUGH OF WINDSOR AND MAIDENHEAD
PARISH CONFERENCE
1 FEBRUARY 2007
PRESENT:
RBWM Councillors: Werner (Chairman), Beer, Dr Hyde, and Wiles.
RBWM Officers: David Almond, Darren Firth, Ian Hunt, Therese Lawlor, David Lunn and
David Perkins.
Parish and Town Councils:
Bisham Parish Council: Councillor Robson Brown
Bray: Councillors Graham, and Hayes
Cookham Parish Council: Councillor Innes, Mrs Wheeler (Clerk)
Cox Green: Councillor Harvey, Mr Hedges (Clerk)
DALC: Sandra Baker
Datchet Parish Council: Councillor Mrs Gregorowski
Hurley Parish Council: Councillors Hill, Joseph, Mrs Chrissie Robinson (Clerk)
Old Windsor Parish Council: Councillors Troughton
Shottesbrooke: Councillor Warren
Sunninghill & Ascot Parish Council: Councillor Cooper
Waltham St Lawrence: Councillor Scott-Hopkins
White Waltham: Councillor MacDonald, Mr Stuart (Clerk)
Wraysbury Parish Council: Councillor Diana Hughes
Also Present: Diane Wynne-Powell (Windsor & Maidenhead Voluntary Action), Gareth Ralphs
(Connected Berkshire), Assistant Chief Constable Nick Gargan, Chief Inspector Jim Templer,
Inspector Mark Harling (Thames Valley Police), Alan Randall-Coles (Wessex Partnerships).
The following Parish Council representatives were present for the final item on the Agenda
relating to neighbourhood policing:
Colnbrook: Councillors Angell and Tucker
Wexham Park: Councillors Aldridge, Davies, Mr Egan (Clerk)
WELCOME
The Chairman of the Conference, Councillor Werner, welcomed everyone to the meeting.
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APOLOGIES
were received from Royal Borough Councillors Grey, Mrs Newbound, and Rayner, and David
Penfold (DALC).
MINUTES
of the last meeting held on 14 September 2006 were approved.
ORDER OF BUSINESS
It was agreed that the order of business as detailed on the Agenda should be varied.
ITEMS
COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS AND COMMUNITY SERVICES
i) Flooding – Development Of Flood Plans For Each Village In Partnership with RBWM/Update
on Flooding Actions – The Conference welcomed David Perkins, the Council’s Head of
Streetcare, and Darren Firth, the Council’s Emergency Planning Officer, to the meeting, who
gave a presentation on Community Flood Planning. (A full copy of the presentation slides are
available from the Council’s Democratic Services Team)
Mr Perkins outlined a brief summary of the work that been undertaken in formulating a Royal
Borough Generic Flood Plan, and also referred to the compilation of the wider Emergency Plan.
It was noted that the aim was to engage the local community. He then invited Mr Firth to address
the Conference in relation to the Flood Plan document. It was noted that the content of the Plan
contained
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Policy and Background
Aims, objectives and Priorities
Risk Assessments
Roles and Responsibilities
Operational Control and Co ordination
Communications
Warning and Informing/Public Information
Resources
Recovery
Contact Lists
The guidance that had been used in formulating and compiling the Plan included
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Environment Agency (EA) pact and Planning Brochure
EA Booklets
Other Local Authority Plans
Strategic Flood Risk Assessment
Thames Valley Community Risk Register
RBWM Emergency Plan
1947/2000/2003/1 in 100 year mapping
Local Knowledge
The Conference was then provided with a summary of the current position within the Royal
Borough in relation to the development of flood plans and the following was outlined
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RBWM Generic Flood Plan (referred to above)
Wraysbury and Horton Self Help Group – This had started in 2006, and the Group was
about to embark on writing its flood plan. A residents questionnaire had been created
requesting volunteers.
Datchet Parish Council Plan – This had started in late 2006, and the flood plan was in the
process of being compiled. An implementation team had been agreed, together with
‘survivor centres’ including a major resource.
In relation to future objectives, it was noted that these included
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Educate the community at every opportunity
Continue working with the EA
Complete a plan to adopt as best practice
Share template with other riverside communities
Use flood plan as a template for community emergency plans (generic)
Improve warning and informing methods
A list of available references and documents were also outlined for the Conference’s information.
The Conference thanked Mr Perkins and Mr Firth for their presentation. Discussion took place,
during which it was noted that the Council needed the help and assistance of Parish and Town
Councils in dealing with a flood. The importance of using local knowledge was emphasised, and
Parish and Town Councils were encouraged to contact Mr Firth to discuss any areas of concern,
and /or provide any information and local knowledge.
The problems of ‘flash flooding’ was also discussed, together with the difficulties caused by
ditches being overgrown and not cleared. It was noted that the vast majority of ditches were
privately owned, and Mr Perkins outlined the Land Drainage Enforcement Policy, which the
Council had adopted a couple of years ago. The Policy aimed to set out what powers the Council
had in this regard, and to seek to clear as many of the ditches as possible.
ii) South East England Development Agency (SEEDA) Project – The Conference welcomed
Parish Councillor Tony Troughton (Old Windsor PC) to the meeting, who gave a brief
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presentation on the Parish Council’s involvement in the SEEDA Rural Towns Programme. It
played an instrumental role in creating an Old Windsor Community Partnership. It was noted that
the aim of the presentation was to inform the Conference of the establishment and development
of the Partnership, and also to share this experience to benefit any other parish or town councils
who may be seeking to undertake a similar task.
Councillor Troughton explained that Old Windsor was a largely dormitory suburb with little
industry apart from shops selling the essentials of life. It possessed an older than average
population, many of whom relied exclusively on local shops because they lived alone, and did
not have their own transport. There was no identifiable village centre, and the main shopping area
was run down. Councillor Troughton commented that the more famous residents were reputed to
avoid giving directions to their properties, which would take visitors through the shopping area
on the grounds that it created the wrong impression.
The Conference was informed that the Old Windsor Community Partnership was formed to plan
and apply for funds to improve the local environment. The shopping centre was top of the list of
priorities. Councillor Troughton outlined to the Members of the Conference the following that the
Parish Council had learned throughout the process:
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Define the boundaries of the area your Partnership will cover.
If you do not have a parish council, consider setting one up, allowable under new local
government legislation even if you are currently part of a Borough.
If you are part of a Parish, get someone on the local/parish council on your side.
Know who your friends are
Identify a source of intermediate funding. Anything you do will cost money.
Hold a public meeting and ask people what their priorities are in terms of local projects.
This will use some of your initial funding.
Look for people who will help run the fledgling Partnership at the same meeting. Devise a
questionnaire and ask people if they are prepared to help.
A mandate is then required from the residents for any project, so analyse the feedback
from the meeting and decide what your first project will be.
Don’t underestimate the talents that exist within your local community. This is
particularly true of the retired people who will also have the free time to dedicate to
making the Partnership work.
When you have established the most pressing need in your locality, find a source of
funding. In the Old Windsor case funds were found from the Parish, the Borough Council,
the local housing association and an ESF programme called Tick Tock.
Study the objectives of the funding provider and make sure your application meets their
requirements.
Don’t forget that some projects will require running costs, and it is important to identify
where these revenue costs will come from. Don’t make mistake of asking for the capital
cost of providing a facility and ignore the revenue or running costs.
Councillor Troughton also emphasised the importance of writing a constitution for the
Partnership. He outlined the following recommendations when embarking on such a task:
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Make it apolitical
Appoint a chairman, secretary, treasurer, and a Partnership Board
Limit the number of parish councillors on the Board
Ban borough councillors from the Board – political influence and danger of alienating
general public and funders.
Try to ensure the Board is well balanced, i.e old, young, male/female, and a wide range of
experience.
Councillor Troughton concluded his presentation by suggesting that the community should be
kept informed of what the Partnership is doing. Leaflet drops, and building a good relationship
with the local journalists were recommended.
The Conference thanked Councillor Troughton for his presentation, and brief discussion took
place. In response to a question on what were the qualifications required to obtain such SEEDA
funding, Therese Lawlor, the Council’s Partnership Manager, outlined this process, which was
set out in the report on Community Planning that had accompanied the Agenda for the
Conference meeting.
iii) ‘Active Rural Communities (ARC) Project’ – Members welcomed Diane Wynne Powell,
from Windsor and Maidenhead Voluntary Action (WMVA) to the meeting, who gave a brief
presentation on the work of WMVA and the lottery funded project, ARC.
It was noted that WMVA aimed to be the ‘one stop shop’ for the voluntary sector and for
volunteering, in support of the community needs of the Royal Borough. It was established in July
1997, to be a Local Volunteering Development Agency for the Borough, and was now part of the
national network of LDVA and CVS working to the code of practice set by Volunteering
England and the National Association of Councils for Voluntary Service.
The core aims of WMVA were outlined as follows:
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Encourage people in the Royal Borough to volunteer in the local community
Provide support, information and training for volunteers
Keep accurate records of voluntary opportunities in the Borough and beyond
Support voluntary organisations with professional advice and training
Form partnerships to develop services to meet existing and identified needs
Act as the local information point for all volunteering and community issues.
The Conference noted that since 1997, WMVA had helped over 3000 people to get involved in
voluntary activities, and there were over 300 voluntary and not-for-profit organisations registered
with WMVA.
The services provided by WMVA included
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Volunteer recruitment
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Telephone helpline
Shop window space for week-long displays
Promoting local voluntary organisations at events and displays across the Borough
Permanent displays of leaflets and handouts
Advice on volunteer management
Internet access for charitable information
Focus on young volunteers
Focus on rural community involvement
Focus on business community involvement
Working with partners for new voluntary services
Raising awareness of the voluntary sector in the local media
Training opportunities for co-ordinators and volunteers
Special rates for client voluntary organisations using photocopiers, laminator, scanner etc.
Information on funding sources and application packs
Directory of voluntary organisations
The ARC project had helped create projects in Cookham, Ascot and Datchet, encouraging local
people in these rural areas to co-ordinate volunteering activity. The ARC project had also held 2
annual conferences at Cumberland Lodge in the Great Park in 2005 and 2006. This provided an
opportunity for people from rural areas to come together.
A further conference (part funded by the ESF project Tick Tock) was planned for Autumn 2007
and all Parish Councils were invited to send representatives. The projects hoped they could be
sustained through the Good Neighbour scheme of the Lions Club in the future.
The Conference thanked Diane Wynne Powell for an interesting presentation and commented on
the good service provided by WMVA. Brief discussion took place on the funding of the service,
and the comments of Diane Wynne Powell in this regard were noted.
iv) ‘Connected Berkshire’ – The Conference welcomed Gareth Ralphs, the Project Manager,
from Connected Berkshire to the meeting, who gave a brief presentation on the work of
Connected Berkshire.
It was noted that Connected Berkshire was launched to support ICT and stimulate the take-up and
use of Broadband applications and services in Berkshire. The Partnership was committed to
improving the quality of life for all who lived and worked in Berkshire by creating an awareness
of the benefits of technology regardless of product or vendor. The Conference was informed that
the project objectives included:
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Focal point for information, best practice, and case study dissemination and promote
greater awareness of ICT
Establish a network of wireless hotspots
Accelerate the take-up, use and exploitation of ICT.
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It was noted that Connected Berkshire work drew upon the strength of a number of key players
and partners, and these included the Royal Borough, Reading Borough Council, Slough Borough
Council, West Berkshire Council, Business Link, BT, SEEDA, Wired Berkshire, CCB, Thames
Valley Chamber of Commerce, and See Online. In addition, the Conference noted that the
‘delivery vehicle’ for Connected Berkshire comprised
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Regional profile/remit from SEEDA
Over 200 Berkshire business advised
Over 55 broadband connection grants awarded
100% of £450 exploitation grants awarded
over 25 ‘hotspots’ added to the Berkshire network
The next steps priorities for Connected Berkshire were also outlined, and these included
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flexible working
women into business and wider business support
third sector and community focus
addressing issues of rural and urban digital inclusion
Gareth Ralphs also outlined the operation of ‘hotspotsberkshire’, an initiative which would
enable anyone in the county to be within ten minutes of a fast internet connection. Connected
Berkshire was working in partnership with BT Openzone to provide new wireless hotspots and
enhance the exiting county-wide network. It was noted that wireless hotspots offered a
convenient, easy-to-use wireless broadband internet access service, allowing customers to gain
wireless internet access at broadband speed. The Conference was also informed of
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FREE offer worth over £400
Awards to-date had been made in Ascot, Windsor, Boulters Lock, Magnet Leisure
Centre
Pending Awards at Windsor Leisure Centre, Cox Green Community Centre, Windsor
Town Centre.
Gaps remained in Hythe End, Old Windsor, Eton, Bray, Shurlock Row, Cookham,
White Waltham, Clewer, West Windsor and Woodlands Park
The Conference was also provided with details of the BT Community Connections scheme, and
noted this offered the opportunity to a community or voluntary organisation to extend its work
through the use of the internet. The scheme offered first time applicants multi-media internetready PC and a contribution towards a year’s broadband internet access through BT Total
Broadband. Additional information was available from www.btcommunityconnections.com.
Mr Ralphs concluded his presentation by distributing some leaflets about the items he had spoken
of (available from the Council’s Democratic Services Team).
The Conference thanked Mr Ralphs for his informative presentation.
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v) Community Wardens – The meeting welcomed Mr David Almond, Senior Community
Warden of the Royal Borough, to the meeting, who gave a presentation on the work of the
Community Wardens.
The Conference noted that the aim of the scheme was to tackle anti-social behaviour and improve
the local community. The Community Warden was a member of a highly visible patrol to help
reduce vandalism, graffiti and anti-social behaviour, and to make it a cleaner, safer place to live.
Mr Almond commented that the work of the Wardens was all about building relationships with
the community, and that the Wardens in the Royal Borough had become known as the ‘purple
people’ because of the colour of their uniforms, etc.
Mr Almond also outlined the varying community groups that the Wardens had come into contact
with, and these included Day Centres, ‘coffee mornings’, playgroups, youth clubs, and schools.
The importance of developing such community links with schools, community groups and
businesses in the locality was emphasised.
The Conference noted that other than lawful powers conferred on all citizens to take appropriate
actions when they witnessed a serious offence being committed, the Wardens had no powers to
stop, search, arrest, or detain anyone or to disperse groups or assemblies. They could, however,
respond to certain situations by contacting the relevant emergency service etc, if they believed
that this had not already been done, and to do so would benefit the community.
The Conference thanked Mr Almond for his very interesting presentation, and commented on the
excellent work undertaken by the Wardens throughout the Royal Borough.
vi) Community Planning In The Royal Borough – This item was not discussed due to the need to
move on the last item on the Agenda. However, the Conference had been provided with a copy of
the report that had been presented to the Royal Borough’s Cabinet meeting on 25 January on this
issue, and Members of the Conference were encouraged to liaise with Therese Lawlor, the
Council’s Partnerships Manager, outside of the meeting, if they had any questions or queries on
this matter.
CRIME AND DISORDER
Neighbourhood Policing – The Conference welcomed Assistant Chief Constable (ACC) Nick
Gargan to the meeting who addressed the Conference in relation to the roll-out of neighbourhood
policing, together with the recruitment and function of Police Community Support Officers
(PCSOs).
At the commencement of the presentation, ACC Gargan reported that unfortunately his
colleague, Chief Inspector Jon Smith, was unable to attend the meeting, and it had been his
intention to bring some handouts on the impact of the PCSOs, and third party funding for PCSOs.
Copies had been provided to the Democratic Services Team at the Royal Borough, and Parish
and Town Council representatives are invited to contact Democratic Services accordingly if they
wish to receive a copy.
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ACC Gargan commented that neighbourhood policing was about community safety, anti-social
behaviour, and criminality, and most importantly, working with the community, responding to
their needs and aspirations. He emphasised the importance of taking action to respond to the
community, and also promising answers back to the community.
It was noted that, currently, 130 neighbourhoods out of a maximum of 265 had been rolled-out.
In October, a decision had been taken to slow down the roll-out process, to ensure that the
implementation of neighbourhood policing was sustainable, ensuing that the 130 or so that had
been implemented were robust and working. ACC Gargan also outlined in brief the resourcing of
the initiative, and reported on the introduction of neighbourhood specialist officers, which would
give the Police a much more noticeable presence in the community. The deployment of the
PCSO’s were also outlined, and it was noted that there were now to be a maximum of 530
PCSO’s for the Thames Valley Region.
ACC Gargan stated that the priorities for the year ahead included maintaining the existing
momentum in recruitment PCSO’s, maintaining the incremental roll-out of the neighbourhoods,
and developing better links with the business community. He concluded by saying that where
neighbourhood policing had been implemented, it was working, and he fully believed in the
concept of the initiative.
Discussion took place, during which there were questions about the anticipated timetable for the
roll-out of neighbourhood policing across the Royal Borough. ACC Gargan reported that he
would ensure that a proposed timetable was available to circulate with the Minutes of the
meeting. The Conference also asked questions about the funding for securing additional PCSO’s
in their areas, and ACC Gargan outlined how this would operate. Members of the Conference
were referred to the handout on ‘Third Party Funding For PCSO’s’ for additional information.
Several members of the Conference also outlined their experiences within their own areas of
policing and anti-social behaviour issues, and several Members outlined the problems in relation
to crime not being reported to the Police.
The Chairman placed on record his thanks to ACC Gargan for attending the meeting, and for his
presentation and answering questions from the floor.
DATES OF FUTURE CONFERENCES
Thursday 14 June
Thursday 10 October
Thursday 31 January 2008
(all to commence at 7.00pm – venues to be confirmed)
MEETING
The meeting, which began at 7.00pm, ended at 9.50pm
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