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Ed Wilson Promoted by Ed Wilson, Windsor Conservatives, Suite 120, 24-28 St Leonards Road, Windsor SL4 3BB

ALEXANDER FIRST SCHOOL CLOSURE CONSULTATION (UPDATE)The Royal Borough’s cabinet met this evening to consider their propo...
20/10/2026

ALEXANDER FIRST SCHOOL CLOSURE CONSULTATION (UPDATE)

The Royal Borough’s cabinet met this evening to consider their proposed “consultation” on closing Alexander First School on the Broom Farm estate. After listening to contributions from the school’s governing body, councillors, educational experts and representatives from the miliary the Cabinet agreed to press ahead with their closure "consultation" (see link in the comments below).

This will make it almost impossible for the school to operate effectively. It's a dreadful way to treat a school that’s been serving the Broom Farm estate and the wider Dedworth community since 1972- a very sad day. No one wins from this, especially the children who attend the school.

Time to campaign to have this nonsense reversed. Please share your thoughts on here but also drop a line to your councillors and Jack Rankin MP - Working for Windsor to make them aware of your views.

When the “consultation” does arrive please do respond and make your views known.

Callling out RBWM's borrowing for day-to-day expenses.
16/10/2026

Callling out RBWM's borrowing for day-to-day expenses.

ALEXANDER FIRST SCHOOL (PROPOSED CLOSURE)It is now official- the Royal Borough want to close the Alexander First School ...
14/10/2026

ALEXANDER FIRST SCHOOL (PROPOSED CLOSURE)

It is now official- the Royal Borough want to close the Alexander First School in Dedworth (Broom Farm). This follows their decision to approve the building of nearly 700 more properties in the area and a special school near Aldi. Royal Borough councillors scrapped the special school after banking more than £5M in government grants associated with this project.

The council are looking to consult on closing Alexander First School with a planned closure in September 2028. This would see parents and carers looking for extra school places in Dedworth from September 2027 onwards. RBWM considers that there are sufficient places in local schools (although we have yet to hear from the other local schools affected).

RBWM says that “most children will not have to travel significantly further to school”, but those with Education, Health and Care Plans may need to move to another school. RBWM are looking to use “any closed first school site for special educational needs”- many parents and teachers predicted when the SEND school was cancelled.

From 2028 the school’s financial deficit (£1M+) will appear on the council’s balance sheet and “widen the council’s funding gap”.

Residents with longer memories that me will recall a disastrous attempt to reorganise schools in Windsor. Ominously RBWM are talking about “whether smaller first schools can be consolidated into fewer, larger schools”.

I have put full details of the council’s proposals in the comments below.

This has little to do with school places and a lot to do with money and control. Many people locally have helped Alexander First School over the years, and the school’s staff have consistently tried to achieve the best outcomes for the children with little help from the Royal Borough. This should be recognised by the council IMHO.

Apart from the new housing, Dedworth residents could potentially see an empty piece of land behind Aldi (but no school) and an empty school building at Broom Farm from 2028. This is a sorry state of affairs- no one, especially local children, wins from this.

RBWM WHERE’S THE MONEY GOING?During the past few weeks, I have highlighted some areas where the Royal Borough of Windsor...
11/10/2026

RBWM WHERE’S THE MONEY GOING?

During the past few weeks, I have highlighted some areas where the Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead (RBWM) are spending our money.

Despite some councillors telling us that the council is “bankrupt” they do seem to be spending a lot of your money:

• Hiring nearly 200 extra employees.

• Paying 11 employees more than £100K a year and the CEO almost £200k a year.

• Spending more than £2M on management consultants.

• Paying more than £1M p.a. extra on Strategy, Performance & Communications.

• Issuing approx.£230M of new outsourcing contracts/ contract renewals.

• Spending £600K a year on a Sustainability and Climate Change team.

• Setting up a Resettlement Team of 6 FTE to assist asylum seekers/ illegal migrants coming to RBWM.

• Producing multiple reports and consultations that residents don’t appear to have asked for (BTW RBWM don’t have any idea how much it costs to produce many of these documents).

It’s up to you to decide if these items provide value for money and help justify the record levels of council tax in the Royal Borough.

Hopefully, this information has been useful and gives you a sense of what RBWM are doing with our money. There's more to come on this- I will try to ensure you get to know where the money is going!

RBWM WHERE’S THE MONEY GOING? (Part 6)The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead (RBWM) set up a resettlement team in 2...
20/09/2026

RBWM WHERE’S THE MONEY GOING? (Part 6)
The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead (RBWM) set up a resettlement team in 2023. The team includes 5 Welfare Officers and a Team Leader. According to RBWM “the UK Resettlement Team use a practical and trauma informed approach where our support includes”:

• Access to food/clothing,
• Benefit maximisation,
• Sign up to GP’s,
• Employment opportunities,
• English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL classes),
• Referrals to mental health services and community-based groups to ensure that your support needs are met.

Full details of the team’s activities are included in a leaflet (see comments).
The purpose of this post is not to provide an opinion on the scale and remit of this team, but hopefully it does help to explain where RBWM are spending our money.

RBWM WHERE’S THE MONEY GOING? (Part 5)The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead (RBWM) continues to expand its sustain...
13/09/2026

RBWM WHERE’S THE MONEY GOING? (Part 5)

The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead (RBWM) continues to expand its sustainability/ climate change activities. It operates several teams led by a Sustainability and Climate Change Lead, responsible for the coordination and strategic direction of the council’s environmental initiatives. Sub teams are also in place:

Ecology Team: This team plays a vital role in protecting and enhancing local biodiversity. It consists of a Graduate Ecologist and a Principal Ecologist, who work together to ensure that natural habitats are preserved and that wildlife can thrive in the borough.
Energy Team: Focused on reducing RBWM’s carbon footprint, the Energy Team is responsible for achieving the council’s net zero targets. The team includes a Net Zero Manager, an Energy Analyst, a Climate Partnership Coordinator, and a Sustainable Policy Officer.
Natural Environment Team: This team manages RBWM’s nature reserves, and green spaces. The team is composed of a Natural Environment Manager, a Natural Environment Officer, a Natural Reserves Ranger, a Nature Recovery Strategy Manager, and an Environmental Engagement Manager. They work on projects that restore ecosystems, enhance biodiversity, and engage the community in environmental stewardship.

In addition to these teams, RBWM also have a dedicated Sustainability Officer who supports their “overarching sustainability goals.” RBWM say that they spend £374,000 on these roles.

The purpose of this post is not to provide an opinion on the scale and remit of these teams, but hopefully it does help to explain where RBWM are spending our money.

RBWM WHERE’S THE MONEY GOING? (Part 4)Each year the Taxpayers’ Alliance publishes a list of local authority employees wh...
09/09/2026

RBWM WHERE’S THE MONEY GOING? (Part 4)
Each year the Taxpayers’ Alliance publishes a list of local authority employees who receive more than £100,000 in total remuneration. This year they found that the Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead (RBWM) has 11 employees who receive more than £100,000 in total remuneration.

They also found that RBWM’s Chief Executive is paid £198,000 a year and receives a further £31,000 in pension contributions.

You can judge for yourself whether this offers value for money.

The purpose of this post is help you understand what RBWM are doing with your money. You can see that full information from the Taxpayers Alliance in the link in the comments.

RBWM WHERE’S THE MONEY GOING? (Part 3)Although the Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead (RBWM) has been described by so...
29/08/2026

RBWM WHERE’S THE MONEY GOING? (Part 3)
Although the Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead (RBWM) has been described by some councillors as “bankrupt” the council has awarded some high value outsourcing contracts in recent years including:

Leisure Centres- £20M over 15 years.
Waste Collection- £61M over 8 years along with £7M for new bin lorries that run on cooking oil.
Treatment of Residual Waste- £4M over 5 years.
Street Cleaning- £13M over 4 years.
Highways Maintenance- £115M over 14 years.
Highways Project Management- £3M over 7 years.
Grounds Maintenance- £14M over 10 years.
Temporary accommodation- £3.5M per annum.

More than £200M of new contracts/ contract renewals. I can’t recall hearing much about this from councillors?

Feel free to comment on whether you consider if these services offer value for money and whether they are being properly monitored. If nothing else, hopefully this helps to explain where your money is going. Your comments are welcome.

RBWM WHERE’S THE MONEY GOING? (PART 2)The Royal Borough of Windsor (RBWM) have confirmed that, over the past 3 years, th...
22/08/2026

RBWM WHERE’S THE MONEY GOING? (PART 2)

The Royal Borough of Windsor (RBWM) have confirmed that, over the past 3 years, their employee numbers have risen from 503 to 696. Some of the increase comes from the Adult Social Care area, which was brought back in house, but the council now has an extra 193 more employees that will need to be funded.
New hires have been made many areas notably in Finance and Housing. I see that the council now has 31 people working in Strategy Corporate Delivery and Communications- up from 13 in 2023. That’s an extra £1M a year in salary costs!
Not sure what these people do or what’s behind the increase, but Google tells us that “RBWM implements corporate delivery, strategic communication, and community engagement through structured frameworks, updated consultation policies, and corporate oversight.”
If you want some strategic communication or updated consultation policies this will be welcome news. If you are after more street cleaning, potholes fixed etc. it may not be such good news.
Either way, hope that this helps explain where your money is going.
As always am interested in your views.

RBWM WHERE’S THE MONEY GOING?The Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead says it has no money to put up a free flag in Osg...
15/08/2026

RBWM WHERE’S THE MONEY GOING?
The Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead says it has no money to put up a free flag in Osgood Park, no money to make any improvements at Sutherland Grange Nature Reserve, no money for pavements etc. I’ve found out that the council does have money to write and publish strategies reviews etc. Here’s a sample from the past few weeks:

•Environment and climate strategy-a refreshed environment and climate strategy.
•Asset Management Framework- a joined-up approach to managing the council's estate.
•Maidenhead Town Centre Shopfront Supplementary Planning Document- promote attractive, well-designed shopfronts that enhance the character of Maidenhead.
•Community Governance Review- creation town councils in the unparished areas of Windsor and Maidenhead.

I’m sure that they will be able to explain away all of these as 100% necessary. From talking with residents across Windsor there’s a clear view that resurfacing roads, improving our parks and cleaning the town should be a priority.

What do you think?

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