Windsor Out-of-Control!

After a much needed break in a warm & sunny location I returned to my flat in Windsor yesterday - only to find the latest edition of the "Windsor Eton Express" with the front page story detailing the latest grim tale of anti-social problems in Windsor.   

I previously wrote about the topic over a month ago.

It is shameful that a visitor to our town should experience something like this, but it is not the least bit of a surprise.  I am appalled that Sandra Tingle and her sister had to experience such a disgraceful display of our youth at their finest.

   Let's hope our fearless leaders on the RBWM council take notice of the situaton and be proactive for a change instead of waiting for someone to be killed.

What's up with Councillor Tom Bursnall?

Everytime I see a photo of Councillor Tom Bursnall lately he looks like he's posing for a photoshoot for Playgirl Magazine......Seriously Tom button up your shirt! 

Nobody, not even the Thames Tattler, cares to see your chest hair in every photo. 

  

(disclamer - this photo has been digitally altered!)

Vanishing Graffiti!

In an amazing turn of events after almost TWO years of a resident complaining to the Royal Borough about excessive graffiti in the South Path in Windsor it has suddenly been removed!

Could it be due to the blogger on "Royal Thames Web" who was planning to take the situation into her own hands by painting over the graffiti herself and another blogger prepared to take photos for the local newspaper?  How embarrassing would that have been for the RBWM considering they supposedly have a "zero tolerance" for graffiti?

Is it a coincidence the graffiti vanished the day before the plans to carry out the plan and that local elections are only weeks away?  The Thames Tattler does not believe in coincidences, particularly when politics are involved!

Something Smells Rotten at 67 Alma Road

Just as I decided to sit back and relax with a wee cuppa - through my postbox came the latest edition of the local Liberal Democrat newsletter called the "Focus".   What caught my eye was the article "Conservatives blamed as massive office block approved".  Now the Thames Tattler has been around long enough to take all political literature with a massive lump of salt so I decided to do a little checking of my own.  So much for relaxing - in the process the tea even went cold!  (Now mind you it takes quite a bit for the Thames Tattler to forget her tea...)

Well it seems that the RBWM Council gave the green light and the royal red carpet - practically with trumpets blasting for the MASSIVE office project proposed by St Congar Properties. I can almost picture the councillors, developers and estate agents together behind closed doors with the champagne glasses clinking.  I can imagine the estate agents mentally tallying up the pounds and the councillors giddy with the anticipation of the promise of loads of money to be given to the RBWM in exchange for allowing the development.  (In my opinion that's nothing more than a legal bribe.) 

Oh let's never mind the monster-sized office building is being squashed into an area not intended to absorb a structure half its size, let alone the parking and traffic problems that are sure to follow.

But what happened next I'm quite sure the unsuspecting councillors were never expecting - a huge public outcry and organised opposition to the development!  Oh dear....our councillors must have fretted over this unexpected uprising, especially since election time is drawing so terribly near.

So what is a councillor to do next?  Naturally, they must have a sudden (and very public) change of heart and put the resident's minds at ease by telling them, oh no my darling Windsorians, we could not possibly support such a blantantly inappropriate development.  Instead, we'll let those nasty developers take it to Appeals.  That way we can wipe our hands of all responsibility (*wink*wink*) and let someone else make the decision for us.  

What the councillors failed to mention is that they were going to remove their objection to that teeny tiny little problem regarding traffic and parking, therefore ensuring the Appeals office would have no obstacle in the way of approving the project.

And of course, as the sad story goes, the development has been given approval - did anyone expect differently?  The champagne is back out again and the glasses are clinking.  The only losers are the residents of Windsor.  This current council, in the Thames Tattler's opinion, may well prove to be the most damaging council in Windsor's history.

If you care to read through all the gorey details - you can find them here if you can stomach it.  After investigating this issue I can tell you the Thames Tattler has switched from tea to something a little stronger...

Councillor Bicknell - are you really this out of touch with your constituents?

Councillor Phill Bicknell as quoted in the RBWM propaganda newspaper,
"The Royal Borough benefits from two lively town centres which are the focus of our thriving night-time economy."

Where has Councillor Bicknell been during the Town Hall meetings in which the NUMBER ONE complaint by the citizens of Windsor has been the "thriving" night-time economy?  I've heard the night-time economy described many ways, but "thriving" is hardly one of them.

Cllr Bicknell, what do you have to say about the countless hours spent by police dealing with anti-social behaviour as a result of the "thriving" night-time economy?

Or the countless complaints being called in to police as a result of the "thriving" night-time economy?

Or the destruction of property and violence that has been occurring after a night in our "thriving" night-time economy?
Or the countless hours of cleaning up litter, vomit and urine as a result of the "thriving" night-time economy?

Actually Councillor Bicknell, could you please let us know in what way the "thriving" night-time economy has had any positive effects on Windsor at all?  (Other than the bank accounts of the lucrative club owners...)

Do you Councillor Bicknell, actually ever venture into the town centre during the hours of our "thriving" night-time economy?  I suspect not!   But how lovely and welcoming of you to try and ensure the very people who are wreaking havoc on our community will have a "positive experience" while they are here.

Seriously Councillor Bicknell - you apparently have no idea what is in the best interest of Windsor or its residents.

Council Elections Coming Soon!

Oh dear I can tell it must be that time again as it seems every day I find more political brochures at my door.   On the 5th of May all the Borough's 57 council seats will be up for election. 

Interested to find out more about my local councillors, I have actually been reading through every bit of info I receive and anything else I can get my hands on.

Unfortunately all I seem to find from the usual parties is information about national party politics.  Now the Thames Tattler is hardly a party hack, but I've been around politics long enough to know the local councillors have nothing to do with decisions made at the national level.  

Current RBWM Councillors - How about some news about what you've actually accomplished since the last election?   To new candidates - why are you standing and why should I vote for you?   Seems to me too many of you are resting on your laurels riding the party train.  Don't forget, "High trees catch lots of wind." (Dutch proverb).   Dearest councillors, you are little shrubs, not trees.

  Bring yourselves back down to the realities of the job you will be doing if elected please...

Transparent Council?

Last month Councillor Liam Maxwell, a Conservative representing the Eton and Castle Ward, proposed making the RBWM the most transparent council in the country by allowing Council meetings to be recorded for the public.  
The motion was PASSED last week to allow members of the public to video the council meetings! This is good news for everyone.  Especially considering what happened last year at a RBWM Council meeting when political blogger CounterCulture attempted to record a meeting. The reason the blogger was told videoing was not allowed, as you can hear from Mayor Cat Bursnall, was ‘Data Protection’ even though it was a public meeting!   It's too bad Mayor Cat obviously had no idea why it was not allowed and had to look for an answer from somewhere else.


Of course it is probably no coincidence the change to allow recording occurred at the very same time the Secretary Eric Pickles from the Department for Communities & Local Government issued a press release stating: "Councils should open up their public meetings to local news 'bloggers' and routinely allow online filming of public discussions as part of increasing their transparency."

So fellow bloggers, get out your cameras! Let's put this new policy to the test!

And dear Councillor Maxwell - never fear the Thames Tattler will be keeping her eye on you too. Though the proposal to allow recording of council meetings was a good one, it does not excuse you from your lackluster attendance over the last year.... Now that you know you may be recorded, your empty seat will be noticed all the more.