Agenda and minutes

Agenda Item 4: High Street Langley, Widening and Junction Improvement Works Update (Minute 36 refers)  – Councillor Swindlehurst declared that he was a member of the Berkshire Local Enterprise Forum. Councillor Swindlehurst stated that he had not been involved in any decision making regarding funding of the scheme.

Resolved –  That the minutes of the meeting held on 22^nd March 2021 be approved as a correct record.

ITEM WITHDRAWN

The Chair informed the Committee that this agenda item had been withdrawn for further checking as part of the finance teams overall due diligence of the accounts. It was noted that the accounts were required to be submitted to the Charity Commission by 31 January 2022 and a meeting would be arranged prior to this date.  

The Committee were provided with an update on the widening and junction improvement works at High Street, Langley. Highway works were currently being undertaken on site, with heritage lamps being installed along the memorial park footway and kerb works on the memorial park side. It was brought to Members attention that delivery time scales for the works had been affected by the utility diversion works.

A Member asked whether the scheme would be completed on time. It was anticipated that highway works would be completed by the end of February 2022 with completion of the whole scheme in April 2022. However, this was dependent on utility works being completed on schedule. In response to ensuring a co-ordinated approach from utility companies to minimalise disruption, it was explained that companies had their own schedules of work and that this wasn’t always possible.

Details relating to when installation of the Heritage Lamps would take place would be provided at the next meeting. Following comments made regarding works being carried out that were not in accordance with approved designs, officers confirmed that they were not aware that this was the case and would report on the issue at the next meeting.   

Resolved  -

a)  That updates about the Langley widening scheme and works within the Langley Memorial Park be noted.

b)  Update on progress of works to the January meeting, to include the final landscaping design including positioning of tree planting.

The Parks and Open Spaces Manager reminded Members that officers had  previously been successful in gaining permission from the National Lottery Heritage Fund (NLHF) to submit a stage one application for the restoration of areas of Baylis Park. However, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, priorities for funding had changed and the NLHF had withdrawn the offer; inviting the Council to re-apply with a revised bid that took into account the fund’s new priorities – which were local business, skills health and wellbeing.

Furthermore, in view of the Section 114 notice and the Council’s financial position, the match funding required as part of the terms of the NLHF application was unlikely to be available from the Council’s budget and in the absence of match funding an application could not proceed.

Members discussed the possibility of re-locating the memorial to a more prominent site within the park or whether to improve access to its current location. It was agreed that the financial implications for the options discussed would be reported to the January meeting.

Resolved -

a)  That details of the report be noted.

b)  That a report be considered at the January meeting outlining options available and associated costs, regarding improving access to the current memorial site or re-locating it.

Trustees were reminded that there were six publicly accessible war memorials in Slough, located at Langley Memorial Ground, Baylis Park War Memorial Garden, Cippenham Village Green, Uxbridge Road, St Mary’s Church and Slough High Street. It was noted that only Langley Memorial Ground and Baylis War Memorial Garden were currently managed by the Trust and potentially had funding to maintain their war memorials. The remaining memorials did not have official/formal management arrangements towards repairs and maintenance.

At the last Trustee meeting, ward members for Cippenham Green and Chalvey Ward agreed to allocate funds from their respective Community Investment Fund allocations to start a “pot” for future maintenance of war memorials in the borough. This would assist towards the upkeep of the memorials independent of other budgets.

Members sought further details relating to maintenance works carried out and how this had been funded given that there was no specific allocated budget for such works. It was explained that the finance team were working on establishing a dedicated budget for war memorial maintenance and details of the total current budget would be reported at the next meeting. It was also agreed that the schedule of works carried out to date on war memorials, including associated costs, would be provided at the January meeting.

Resolved  -

a)  That the current arrangements for the management and maintenance of War Memorials and the allocation of funds to maintain and repair them in future be noted.

b)  That the schedule of works carried out to date on war memorials, including associated costs, be provided at the January meeting.

Following concerns raised in relation to additional car parking at the Salt Hill Park vaccination centre, Trustees were informed of the timeline and decisions taken to use the grassed area for additional overflow parking. The use of the grass area was primarily required after serious concerns were raised about traffic queues on the A4 when vehicles were unable to park in the main car park at peak times. Although the Parks Team were consulted before the decision to use the grass area, the matter had not been brought to the attention of Trustees.

Whilst acknowledging the need for creating an overflow car park and that the priority focus was keeping residents safe, Trustees placed on record that, in future, they be consulted on matters prior to decisions being made and implemented.

Concern was expressed relating to the current state of the area being used as additional parking and the potential damage to vehicles. It was explained that the full cost of remedial works would be met by the Health Authorities and although works were originally planned to commence in early November, these had been delayed as a result of the booster roll out and increased usage at the centre.  

Resolved – That the current arrangements for the use of the car park and additional grassed area be noted.

Although the next meeting was scheduled for 2^nd February 2022, it was agreed that this would be re-arranged to take place before the end of January 2022.