Windsor News from Councillors Carole and Wisdom Da Costa

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Alexander First School: children first, evidence before closure

Executive summary Alexander First School’s closure is proposed—not decided. As your ward councillors, We are asking whether there is a better, sustainable option for children and our community. Check the demand: show exactly how nearby new homes, including AL21, and military-family numbers have been counted. Test alternatives: compare closure with a smaller…
Listening across the generations – Care experience does not disappear with age

Summary Care experience does not disappear with age. The boys placed in Maidenhead’s Green Field House are now older men, and survivors are still seeking answers. Our work on their behalf continues. Cllr Carole Da Costa’s motion, seconded by Cllr Jack Douglas, sought to turn recognition into a practical commitment:…
Secret planning meetings? Council agrees to scrutiny investigation

Following questions from Maidenhead resident and local government legal analyst Andrew Hill, the Royal Borough’s Full Council has overwhelmingly agreed to investigate private planning briefing meetings. So why do these undocumented meetings potentially matter to residents, and did the Council honour its November 2024 commitment to greater transparency in planning?…
How to Respond to Windsor’s Town Council Consultation

What sort of Town Council does Windsor need — and who should it represent? RBWM is asking residents for their views on creating a new Windsor Town Council though the “Community Governance Review” Consultation. This is an important opportunity. A Town Council could become Windsor’s own elected community council, giving residents…
Windsor: Community boundaries ≠ historic administrative boundaries

This article explains why we believe it is wrong to rule out of consideration specific Windsor communities from a future Windsor Town Council simply because they fall on the wrong side of an old parish boundary — and before they have even been properly asked what they think. Executive Summary…
Could your window help us build a healthier West Windsor?

In our September 2026 newsletter, Carole and I highlighted an exciting opportunity for residents to help us understand—and ultimately improve—the environment in which we live. West Windsor is one of a small number of areas taking part in a community study with UK environmental monitoring company Viibe. Over six months, small…
Who Will Hold Our Police to Account?

Major changes are coming to policing, councils — and democratic scrutiny Major changes are coming to the way policing is governed and scrutinised in England and Wales — and they could significantly change the responsibilities of local councils and councillors. The Government plans to abolish Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs)…
Who Belongs in Windsor? Why Aren’t All Windsor’s Edge Communities Being Asked?

We raised the problem in February. We asked the Council to investigate it. We went out and asked residents ourselves. We tried to bring the issue before Full Council. That debate has now been ruled out. So now we need residents to speak for themselves. Something important is happening to…
Is the Council rushing it’s Local Plan?

Executive Summary RBWM’s new Local Plan could shape our Borough for the next 20 years. It also provides an important opportunity to rebuild public confidence following the difficulties and controversy surrounding the previous Local Plan—a lack of confidence that many community leaders tell us still persists. We support getting on with…
Our vision for RBWM’s new Local Plan

Planning for homes, nature, health, transport, resilience and prosperity together RBWM is preparing a new Local Plan. The decisions made now could shape where people live, how they travel, the environment around them and the future prosperity of our Borough for decades. As your local councillors, Carole and Wisdom Da Costa,…