Latest news with #RBWM
BBC News
2 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
Council spent £240k opposing Holyport studios project
A council that was opposed to a major film studios being built on green belt land spent £240,000 successfully fighting against plan for the complex in Holyport, Berkshire, was proposed by investment company Greystoke Land but Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead (RBWM) councillors rejected it in March minister Matthew Pennycook upheld the authority's decision to refuse permission earlier this deputy head of planning Louise Reid celebrated the decision and said it was a good outcome for the authority's officers. She said Mr Pennycook's decision was the first appeal the current Labour government had dismissed after deciding it would take the decision itself rather than leaving it to a planning inspector."That's a bit of a feather in our cap that we've actually got a dismissed appeal – so good outcome," she plan included sound stages, workshops, offices, footpaths, a multi-storey car park, a filming area, a new roundabout and a "media village" for post-production Greystoke Land's application, the government agreed with the council that the company had not searched widely enough for "reasonably alternative sites".The cost of opposing the studios plan was less than the £260,000 RBWM spent on defending its decision to refuse the Spencer's Farm housing development, which it lost last year. You can follow BBC Berkshire on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
BBC News
5 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
Windsor and Maidenhead council's firm admits fire safety failings
A council's controversial property company was responsible for its town hall headquarters where serious fire safety issues developed, the council has stayed locked and evacuation chairs were found to be unusable during a recent fire drill at Maidenhead Town Hall, a meeting was told this Houston, health and safety adviser at the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead (RBWM), said a drill had not taken place "for some time" before added evacuation chairs for disabled people had not been serviced since 2011, one was out of order and no-one was trained to use them. A council spokesperson confirmed the safety of the town hall was managed by its property services department "which has recently been brought back in house".The spokesperson said fire drills take place every year and the previous one had been in did not answer questions about how much the council paid RBWM Property Company (PropCo) to manage the town spokesperson added: "Although the building was evacuated safely, the exercise identified a number of issues, some of which have developed since the previous drill – and these will now be addressed through an action plan."RBWM's wholly-owned private firm PropCo was set in 2011 to provide affordable homes and housing for key was shut down earlier this year following a "politely damning" report. You can follow BBC Berkshire on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
BBC News
06-06-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Plan for Holyport film studios refused by government
Plans to build one of the UK's biggest film and TV studios have been rejected by the company Greystoke Land had appealed to the government to allow the film studio to be built in Holyport, after councillors at the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead (RBWM) refused to grant planning minister for housing and planning Matthew Pennycook rejected the appeal on Friday, citing its "potential harm to the green belt".The BBC has approached Greystoke Land for comment. The investment company applied for permission to build the studio complex on both sides of Gays Lane in plans included sound stages, workshops, offices, footpaths, a multi-storey car park, a backlot filming area, a new roundabout, and a "media village" for post-production. In March 2024, councillors refused planning permission because of concerns about the green Land appealed and said the council had "exaggerated" the harm to the green belt and ignored its economic said there was a "pressing need for the proposed development".Property consultant Montagu Evans added: "This is no ordinary development proposal and nor is it one that meets a generic need that could be met anywhere."But RBWM said Greystoke had overstated the economic case for the studio, and the development of other studios in Berkshire and the south east meant there was less of a case for building another one in appeal was heard by a planning inspector last November, but government housing ministers said they would make the final Pennycook said the government supported "the growth of the creative industries in the UK" but there was "likely to be sufficient capacity within existing studio space" for the industry "for the immediate future". You can follow BBC Berkshire on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
BBC News
21-05-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead to increase council tax
A council has warned it will look to increase its council tax above the statutory cap as it needs to set a balanced budget next Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead (RBWM) was granted £103 million in exceptional financial support from the government for the current year's budget which included a 9% council tax warning comes as the council's cabinet committee of leading councillors is set to approve its budget-setting process.A report to council leaders said the council had already begun "informal" talks with the government. The council is already warning it will need another package of support including "an increase to council tax above the statutory cap".In a report council leaders said this was because of cuts and freezes which have left the council £30 million a year year's budget won't have to be approved until March report said: "The council's £30m a year structural deficit cannot be closed entirely through transformation, savings and increased income."Council departments will be asked to start coming up with proposals for cuts, savings and new ways to make money in council leaders are already being warned that the £30 million a year shortfall is "too large to be balanced entirely by local decisions".The cabinet report said: "RBWM is expecting to deliver nearly £6 million of savings during the 2025-2026 financial added: "Closing the council's structural budget gap of £30m would require the authority to deliver five times that amount of savings within its budget – this is not achievable."These proposals will be presented to council leaders and bosses in authority said it has already begun "informal" discussions with the government and could soon make a formal would include asking for a council tax increase above the 4.99 per cent cap and a capitalisation direction which is effectively a loan it will have to pay back by selling off property. You can follow BBC Berkshire on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
Yahoo
07-04-2025
- Yahoo
Big wheel to return despite resident's plea
An observation wheel in a public garden has been granted planning permission for another year despite a plea to give the park "back to the people". Councillors at the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead (RBWM) voted unanimously to allow the Royal Windsor Wheel in Alexandra Gardens. Resident John Davey opposed the application, saying the garden should be "full of flowers, plants and wildlife" and "not forfeited to metal fairground rides". But council planning officers said under the plans less than 5% of the total grassland would be damaged, and the site would be re-turfed afterwards. They added that, when the wheel was in the park last summer, it left "plenty of garden area amenity area untouched by this development for members of the public". Planning officer Briony Franklin also said the council had to be consistent in deciding planning applications, and had approved identical temporary plans last year. Ward councillor Mark Wilson spoke in favour of the application and said it was an "attraction" for the town. "It's a boost for business and while there are mixed views as we've heard from residents many do enjoy it," he said. Councillor Amy Tisi said the wheel would take up about 0.5% of the park. "It seems to be a very emotive thing that some residents say it's taking up all of the park and it's taking up all of this space," she said. "I calculated that the site is 21 by 7m, so it works out to be 0.52% of the park is taken up by this." You can follow BBC Berkshire on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram. Big wheel could return to town's gardens next month Big wheel to boost tourism in Royal town - council Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead
