Latest news with #RBWM
BBC News
2 days ago
- 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
BBC News
15-03-2025
- General
- BBC News
About 20 daily reports of fly-tipping in Berkshire
Fly-tipping in Berkshire is on the rise, with about 20 reports a day across the county, figures to government data, there were nearly 7,700 incidents from 2023 to 2024, with Windsor and Maidenhead having the most at more than 1, had about 1,500 incidents, followed by Slough with 1,400 and Reading with 1, Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead council (RBWM) said it was "cracking down" on fly-tippers and has already issued fines this year. One Maidenhead resident said he was so sick of the rubbish that he has started a litter-picking group, which will hold its first session on 30 Watts, a taxi driver, said he thinks fly-tipping has got worse over the last three said: "If we don't [do the litter picking] no-one else is going to do it as the borough is in financial difficulties."Mr Watts said when people ask him why he gets involved, he tells them: "Because I am proud of Maidenhead and I want my town to be a good town." A hotspot that Mr Watts said he often sees is in Nicholsons Lane and Brock Lane, where household waste is dumped on the said its "task force is cracking down" on people dumping their rubbish in the authority said it has already issued 11 fines to residents and businesses for fly-tipping since number of fly-tipping cases in parts of the south-east of England rose by 75% in 2023/24, according to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural the same period, West Berkshire had 930 reports of fly-tipping and Bracknell Forest had 596. Betty Bak has lived in Slough for 12 years and said she wants to move out of the borough because of the amount of fly-tipping in her local area, particularly in Farnham said it had got worse since bin collections changed to once a fortnight."When you walk [you see] mattresses, house appliances, black sacks with rubbish."I will move out of Slough. It's just horrible and I think it will get worst." A spokesperson for Slough Borough Council said while fly-tipping has increased it "cannot be related directly to residual bins being collected fortnightly, because of the nature of the waste being left".They added: "General littering has increased and it is unfortunate that there is a minority that doesn't respect the areas that they live in, we encourage people to think about the consequences of this." You can follow BBC Berkshire on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
BBC News
06-03-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Berkshire council approves budget with 9% council tax
A council has approved budget that includes a 8.99% cent council tax Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead (RBWM) councillors took the decision after 27 voted in favour and 11 against comes after the local authority received government permission to increase council tax above the normal 4.99% cap to prevent it from going is one of six cash-strapped authorities across the country that were allowed to introduce a council tax hike. RBWM previously planned to introduce a 25% increase which was blocked by the it was given permission to ramp up the tax by 9%.In a statement to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, Liberal Democrat leaders said: "While this will be more affordable for residents, it means that RBWM's financial situation will not improve this year."RBWM will still need to spend the equivalent of the originally proposed 25% increase and will now have to fund the difference by further increasing our borrowing."The added that previous decisions taken by previous Conservative leaders to cut and freeze council tax have cost the authority about £30m a October, the council said its finances had worsened by about £1m a month since the summer. You can follow BBC Berkshire on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
