New secure cycle parking opens at Windsor Leisure Centre

A new secure cycle parking site next to Windsor Leisure Centre has opened, giving local cyclists access to a protected space to park their bikes when using the Stovell Road wellbeing facilities.

It’s completely enclosed with 36 spaces as two tier racks, Sheffield stands, cargo stands, a pump and repair stand, and lockers to store helmets and belongings. Its design was informed by local cycling organisations.

To use the parking, download the cycle security firm Spokesafe app onto your smart phone or tablet. You can then book your space on arrival, or in advance.

Entry is protected by keypad access for only registered, ID-verified users. Parking costs just £1 per day, with discounts for weekly and monthly bookings. The unit also includes 24/7 monitored CCTV and customer support from Spokesafe.  

Read more here.

Helping to tackle illegal and dangerous driving

This week, we've started helping police with enforcing existing moving traffic restrictions, initially at 10 problem locations, to improve road safety and reduce congestion.

Our Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras are helping tackle illegal and dangerous driving activities, such as turning up one-way streets, ignoring no entry signs, exceeding weight limits and driving in pedestrian zones.

While police will continue to have powers, traffic police cannot be at all trouble spots all the time to personally witness contraventions, so cameras at target locations (where monitoring and public feedback shows us the rules are broken most) will make enforcement more consistent, effective and hopefully be a deterrent.

For the first six months, motorists who break the rules will be sent a warning letter for each first-time infringement of their vehicle at each location. Any subsequent breach during this period will lead to a penalty charge notice. After that first six months, warning letters will end and all breaches will result in a penalty charge notice.

Discover more and see the initial 10 locations on our website. 

We want to know what you think

We are running a survey to get your feedback on this newsletter.

Residents' Newsletter is our weekly digest of council news and information and a look ahead to forthcoming council activities and local events, and it's sent every Friday to those who've subscribed.

The survey only takes 10 minutes to complete and your feedback is valuable to us and will help us to improve the newsletter. To take part visit the RBWM Together webpage.

Prize draw

By participating, you will be offered the chance to be entered into a prize draw to win a £50 Amazon voucher.

We would also appreciate if you could share the link to the survey with your friends and family in the borough, if they are subscribed to the newsletter.

And those who aren't yet subscribed to the Residents Newsletter can sign up here.

Love Parks Week - celebrating our parks and green spaces

Whether you’re walking the dog, taking days out with family, enjoying a picnic, or simply chilling out, parks are vibrant living spaces, a backdrop to our daily lives and a place to reconnect with nature.

Next week sees the start of Love Parks Week, highlighting the vital role green spaces play in boosting health and wellbeing. And we’ll be celebrating our wonderful parks on social media, showcasing their many facilities as well as revealing some historical tit bits about them.

We'd just like to thank the overwhelming majority of park users who use our parks responsibly, pick up after your dogs, bin your litter and leave the BBQ at home. Sadly some people are not as considerate and they damage the environment for people and wildlife.

New for this summer, in response to a public consultation, we introduced a new Public Spaces Protection Order, giving our Community Wardens the option to issue a £100 fixed penalty notice to enforce the ban on barbeques and open fires in all the parks and green spaces we manage.

And you can meet our Community Wardens in many of our parks over the next two weeks. So why not pop down and see them for a friendly chat, to get some tips, or share your ideas: 

• Ockwells Park in Maidenhead - Monday 22 July, 10am to 12pm
• Desborough Park in Maidenhead - Wednesday 24 July, 4pm to 6pm
• Grenfell Park in Maidenhead - Friday 26 July, 10am to 12pm
• Braywick Nature Festival - Friday 26 July and Saturday 27 July
• Sutherland Grange in Windsor - Monday 29 July, 2pm to 4pm

We’re all of us rightly proud of our parks and scientific research clearly shows that time spent in green spaces (even just 10 minutes) reduces anxiety, improves our immune systems and promotes wellbeing. And with a wide range of facilities on offer there’s something for everyone in your local park. 

Love Parks Week runs from Friday 26 July to Sunday 4 August. Visit our website today and find your local park!

Cabinet welcomes two new members

We are welcoming two new Cabinet members as part of updates to portfolio responsibilities, following the recent election of Councillor Joshua Reynolds as Maidenhead’s new MP. 

Councillor Jack Douglas, the council’s Volunteering Champion, takes over from Councillor Reynolds as Cabinet Member for Communities & Leisure. His role encompasses sports development, leisure services, countryside & parks, libraries, the Community Lottery, cemeteries, registrars, Windsor Guildhall, tourism and volunteering. 

The other new face on Cabinet is Councillor Mark Wilson, who holds a freshly-created post of Cabinet Member for Corporate Services. His responsibilities cover procurement, quarterly assurance, HR, pension services, legal services, and working with Councillors Simon Werner and Lynne Jones on the all-important transformation programme which is vital to fix the finances of the council.

There have also been slight changes to some portfolios and titles as a result as these updates. Councillor Reynolds will continue to serve as a ward councillor.

Read more here.

Vicus Way and Hines Meadow - make the most of your parking choices

Vicus Way

If you’d like to save money and don’t mind a 10-minute walk into town, our Vicus Way car park is very affordable and always has spaces available.

If you take the train to London or Reading for work, Vicus Way is a convenient five-minute walk to the Elizabeth Line GWR station and it’s among the cheapest rail commuter parking in Maidenhead.

A great commuter parking base for London, you can park at Vicus Way all day for £6.90 without a season ticket.

Annual season tickets are also cheaper than Stafferton Way next door or Hines Meadow.

Hines Meadow 

If central Maidenhead is your destination, Hines Meadow has the cheapest hourly parking of our town centre car parks and always has spaces available for commuters and shoppers, even at weekends.  

Reminder: A308 Braywick Roundabout to close overnight for essential resurfacing work

Just a reminder that essential maintenance work to resurface parts of the A308 Braywick Roundabout, between Windsor and Maidenhead, will take place on Tuesday 23 July. 

The work is scheduled to take place overnight, requiring the closure of the roundabout on Tuesday 23 July, between the hours of 9pm and 6am on the Wednesday morning.

A diversion will help to manage traffic flows in the local area during the period when the closure is in place.

Read more here.

Come along to the Windsor Forum

The next Windsor Forum will be held on Tuesday 23 July at York House, Sheet Street, Windsor from 6.30pm.

You are welcome to attend (either in-person or virtually), take part in the discussion, ask questions and suggest items for future agendas. The meeting will also be streamed live on our YouTube channel.

Reminder: Free swimming sessions for local teenagers this summer to aid water safety

Young people aged 13 to 17 years old will be able to enjoy free swim sessions at two popular leisure centres during the school summer holidays, thanks to a water safety initiative.

Leisure Focus, our leisure operator, in collaboration with local partners including the council itself, is launching its “Safe Summer Swim” initiative, with a mission to reduce the risk of young people getting into trouble in lakes and rivers.

The programme offers free one-hour fun swim sessions for 13- to 17-year-olds at Windsor Leisure Centre and Braywick Leisure Centre (weekdays only), from Monday 22 July to Friday 30 August, making swimming accessible and promoting water safety.

With up to 40 spaces available per session, this initiative seeks to provide local teenagers with an opportunity to learn essential water safety skills, improve their swimming abilities, and foster a greater appreciation for water-related activities.

Read more here.

Summer fun at Braywick Nature Festival

Don't forget that Braywick Nature Festival returns next week!

Our free event takes place at Braywick Nature Reserve, on Friday 26 July and Saturday 27 July and it’s a chance to experience your local nature reserve and interact with nature. The fun includes pond dipping, meadow madness, live music, a veggie BBQ, a licensed bar, nature trails, workshops and more.

Our nature activities are free but Pond Dipping and Meadow Madness places will need to be pre-booked online. Nature activities are most suitable for four to 11-year-olds but all ages are welcome!

The fun takes place at Braywick Nature Reserve, Hibbert Road, Maidenhead, SL6 1UU. Pushchairs and wheelchairs are welcome. There's no parking available on-site, so we recommend parking at Braywick Leisure Centre car park, which is less than a five-minute walk away.

To find out more please visit the Braywick Nature Centre Facebook page. 

Yellow Heat Health Alert

The Met Office says this alert is due to run until 11pm on Saturday 20 July.

If you can, check in on vulnerable/elderly family, friends and neighbours because they are more affected by hot weather.

One way to keep indoors cooler, is to close curtains and blinds facing the sun during the day.

For more tips on how to keep cool, visit the UK Government’s Beat the Heat website.

Calling all job seekers - attend our next jobs fair!

Just a reminder that our next jobs fair will take place at Maidenhead Library Tuesday 23 July, 10.30am to 1pm.

Jobseekers will have the opportunity to meet local employers and find out about their current vacancies. Employers across a variety of sectors will be attending this event, so it’s an ideal forum for candidates to get to know the local jobs market, and the skills required to be successful in their applications.

There’s no need to book, just turn up on the day.

Employers who wish to attend the event should contact DWP-library@rbwm.gov.uk or berks.employerteam@dwp.gov.uk

For more information, please visit our employment support webpage.

Royal Borough Community Spotlight

Here are just some of the upcoming community events and volunteering opportunities in the Royal Borough.

• Compost workshop - Gather & Grow Maidenhead (Saturday 20 July 1pm to 2.30pm) - ECO Action Hub, 5-7 Nicholsons Walk, Maidenhead SL6 1LB. Are you thinking of starting a compost bin in your garden? Or maybe you live in a flat and want to find a space saving way to deal with food scraps? From wormeries to bokashi, we've got you covered! All are welcome to this free, community led workshop. Email us to book a place.

• Bazaar & coffee morning (Saturday 20 July, 10am to 11.30am) - St Marks Crescent Methodist Church, Allenby Rd, Maidenhead, SL6 5BQ. Come and enjoy a morning with us, we've lots of stalls selling delicious home baked cakes, stationery, books, CDs, DVDs, bric-a-brac and a raffle with various prizes. Coffee available during the morning and served in our friendly Hub. All proceeds go to St. Mark's Crescent Methodist Church Fund. All are welcome, email us for more information.

• Maidenhead Festival (Saturday 20 & Sunday 21 July) - Kidwells Park. Get ready for the summer event of 2024! Join us for two unforgettable days of fun. Dance to live music, relax on our sandy beach oasis, and explore bustling stalls filled with unique crafts and delicious street food. Thrill-seekers will love our exciting rides and games, and the night sky will dazzle with a spectacular fireworks display. Best of all, it’s entirely free! Bring your family and friends to experience the ultimate summer celebration at the Maidenhead Festival. See you there! For more information visit.

• Monday Friends (Monday 22 July, 10.30am to 12pm) - St Marks Crescent Methodist Church, Allenby Rd, Maidenhead, SL6 5BQ. Join us for a lovely friendly morning. Each month we bring a different theme and for July (weather permitting!) we’ll be having outdoor games, otherwise games will be in the hall. The meeting includes refreshments and is very informal with a short time for a prayer. This is a morning for all in the community, especially those who are alone and would like to make friends and get to know others and if you would just like to come and enjoy the company, that is fine as well. Phone 07714 892599 or email.

• Community meeting for St Peter and St Andrew Parish Church (Tuesday 23 July, 7.30pm.) We’re planning to give our much loved 800-year-old church a facelift and new facilities for the community to use. However, before going ahead we want to hear from you - whether you use the church regularly or not. Join us at the church for an open to have your say and to see a presentation on our plans. There is plenty of parking and you will find us at the bottom of Church Rd, Old Windsor, SL4 2JW. This is your church so please come and help us get it right.

• Windsor Classic Bus Running Day (Sunday 28 July). Hop on board a range of vintage classic buses and travel back in time on the bus routes of yesteryear around our picturesque Royal Borough. The running day will be based at the bus stops outside Windsor Parish Church, just beyond the Guildhall and close to the entrance of Windsor Castle. The event is being organised by the Amersham & District Motorbus Society, to commemorate 40 years to the day since the large 1930s garage in St Leonards Road, Windsor closed its doors for the last time. Visit their website or email them for more information. 

• Free cricket this summer (Tuesday 30 July for six weeks) Leisure Focus are offering free cricket lessons at Furze Platt Senior School, in partnership with the Berkshire Cricket Foundation. Lessons for five to eight year olds - 9am to 10am for six weeks from 30 July. Free code: RUWPB. Sign up here. Lessons for eight to 11 year olds - 10.15am to 11.15am for six weeks from 30 July. Free code: QIYYK. Sign up here. Email for more information.

• Bugs, Birds and Beasts Day (Tuesday 30 July, 12pm to 5pm) - Silwood Park Campus, Buckhurst Road, Ascot SL5 7PY. Come to a day of free and exciting events for all the family at Imperial College London’s Silwood Park campus. Join us and find out how bugs, birds and beasts enrich our lives: watch live bird eggs develop and hatch, marvel at falconry displays, take part and discover wonderful facts about the creatures all around us. For more information visit or to register visit.

• Busy Bees and Beautiful Butterflies - trail and workshop (Wednesday 31 July, Thursday 1 August, Friday 2 August 10am to 2pm) Woolley Firs Maidenhead, Environmental Education Centre, SL6 3LJ. Suitable for ages 4 – 11, includes an exciting, crafts and a workshop. Bring a picnic! Price £20. Visit our website, email, or call us on 01628 829 574 ext 214. 

• Pickleball launch day (Saturday 3 August, 2pm to 5pm) – Holyport Memorial Hall in Moneyrow Green. After the recent resurfacing of the outdoor tennis court, two new Pickleball courts are now available for hire. Come and join our demonstration, learn how to play Pickleball, and have a go. For those who already play Pickleball, open play will be arranged to give you the chance to try out our new outdoor courts. We look forward to seeing you on the day. For more information email.

• Free weekly wellbeing walk in Windsor with Maidenhead United Community Trust (every Monday until Monday 2 September, with the exclusion of Monday 26 August, set off at 10.30am) - Woody’s café, Clewer Memorial Recreation Ground, Windsor, SL4 5EU. Come and join us for our new free summer wellbeing walk in Windsor. This is a leisurely paced walk of two to three miles with free parking available. Refreshments will be available to purchase on return. For more information email.

• The Arts Society Englemere September Lecture (Tuesday 10 September, 7.30pm) St George’s School, Wells Lane, Ascot, SL5 7DZ. Dr Helen Rufus-Ward, art historian, will talk about Victorian encounters with India beginning with these portraits decorating the corridors of Queen Victoria’s favourite palace, Osborne House on the Isle of Wight. She will also talk about the exquisitely carved Durbar Hall, created and shipped over from India to serve as a backdrop for the Colonial and Indian Exhibition. There will an opportunity to put questions to the lecturer. For more information and the register your interest visit or email.

• Save the date for this year’s Boundary Walk (Sunday 6 October). The annual event sees hundreds of walkers raising thousands of pounds for their chosen charities as they retrace the route of the old Maidenhead Borough. The route is fully signposted and marshalled by Rotarians and all participants have to do is register, raise sponsorship and complete the walk. This year, Rotary are proud to be supporting Alzheimer's Dementia Support, with any proceeds from the event being donated to this amazing local charity. For more information visit.

• The Big Blue Bike Ride (Sunday 8 September) - Prostate Cancer UK are hosting their cycling event for the second year running in Windsor. The event will start and finish at Windsor Racecourse, those taking part will choose from a 40 or 65 mile signposted route and will raise money to go towards vital prostate cancer research into better tests and treatments to diagnose men sooner and save lives. For more information visit.

• Free PSA blood test to all males over 40 (Saturday 28 September, 10am to 4pm) - Desborough Bowling Club, Green Lane, Maidenhead, SL6 1XZ. Did you know 1 in 8 men will develop prostate cancer in their lifetime. Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men, and more than 47,500 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer every year - that is 129 men every day. Maidenhead Lions aim to provide a free PSA blood test to as many men over 40 as possible who chose to take the test. Don’t delay book today. For more information and to book your time slot visit.

If you have an upcoming not-for-profit community event or appeal for volunteers 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.

To see further volunteering opportunities in the borough, or for another way for community organisations to promote volunteering opportunities, please visit RBWM Together.

Local Travel Updates

For details of further council works on highways, visit our website. For full local roadwork details, including work by utility firms, please visit the One Network website.   

• Road closure: Royal Windsor Way Roundabout to zebra crossing west of Mill Lane will be closed overnight (9pm – 6am) on Wednesday 24 July for essential road maintenance.

• Road closure: Two sections of the A308 Windsor Road in Maidenhead (the first near Little Paddocks and the second near Hotel & Down Place) will be closed for two nights between 9pm – 6am on Thursday 25 July and Friday 26 July, for essential road maintenance.

• Road Closure: Sections of Drift Road, east of Fifield Lane Fifield will be closed for four days between 9am – 3pm between Monday 29 July and Thursday 1 August, for essential road maintenance.  

Keep in touch

Keep up to date with news and information from the council by signing up to Nextdoor and following us on X and Facebook.

Other accounts you may be interested in:

• Royal Borough official tourism web page.  
• Libraries on Facebook and X.
• Royal Borough Registrars on Facebook and Instagram.
• Communities Team on Facebook and X.
• Windsor & Royal Borough Museum web page.
• MyRoyalBorough on X, Facebook and Instagram.
• Make Maidenhead on Facebook and Instagram.