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Foreword                                         

In the summer of 2005, the Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead advised that the South East England Development Agency had funding available for some community groups operating within parishes that met specific criteria and who could identify a particular capital project that the community needed.  Eton met the criteria, and elected to apply for such an opportunity, in the knowledge that clear justification for a project would need to be comprehensively proven.

The parish of Eton comprises two wards: Eton, a small town with the internationally famous College within it, and the adjacent village of Eton Wick. Both settlements have their own very clear and quite different identities, and at the same time they exist for the benefit of one another.

They sit side by side along the northern bank of the River Thames, opposite Windsor, in Berkshire, about 25 miles west of London.  The western boundary of Eton Wick forms the county border with Buckinghamshire and abuts Dorney Common, to the north is Slough and the new Jubilee River, a product of the Thames Water Flood Alleviation Scheme and beyond open land to the east lies the largely residential town of Datchet.
 
This report provides a detailed profile of the parish, concentrating on Traffic and Transport services, the local Environment, the local Economy and Social and Community activity. The report also reflects the findings of a survey of residents and visitors that was carried out in the summer and autumn of 2006, and which sought to establish the problems and shortcomings within the area, and endeavours, in the subsequent Action Plan, to identify possible solutions.

The project has been managed by the Eton and Eton Wick Partnership.

Introduction

Wherever a visitor comes from, they cannot help being impressed with Eton College. Henry VI founded the College in 1440 “…. for the worship of God and for the training of young men to the service of Church and State”.  Since then the establishment has produced a veritable array of politicians, statesmen, sportsmen, academics and captains of industry, and continues to do so, and is home to several excellent libraries with remarkable collections of rare books and manuscripts.



The College employs a large number of local people, and the local area accommodates most of the 200 Masters and a staff of over 700, in addition to the 1,300 pupils.  Its numerous premises are scattered in the town of Eton and a close ‘town and gown’ relationship has been fostered over the past 500 years.  
The economic dominance of Eton College is reflected in the nature and fashion of the local community and overflows into the High Street where services associated with the needs of the school are to be found.  In fact, a number of shops are dedicated to the students’ needs – uniforms, sports equipment, books, stationery, pharmacy, hairdressing and so on.  However, because of the long school holidays these businesses depend on the local community and tourists as well.  An economic survey carried out by the local Economy team of the Eton & Eton Wick Partnership in August 2006 indicated that as many as one in three of the shops rely heavily on their business with the school.

The Eton and Eton Wick Partnership

The Eton and Eton Wick Partnership was formed in the winter of 2003, at a time when a significant anti-social behaviour problem was evident in Eton Wick.  The Town Council realised that the problem was not merely the responsibility of any single agency, and that by involving a cross-section of different organisations from within the community working together there was much more that could be achieved. Initially the Police, several different departments of the Royal Borough, the local housing association, Windsor Housing, and Eton Wick’s Youth Club and Football Club joined with the Town Council to form the Partnership. Once the initial anti-social problem had been brought down to a manageable level, the Partnership identified a number of initiatives that could further reduce the incidence of anti-social behaviour, such as car park lighting, sealing off a rat run and dismantling an underage drinking den, but also, on a more positive note, introducing more activities through the Youth Centre for young people in the community, including video and music projects, and sport training. In all, twelve separate initiatives were successfully undertaken.




Eighteen months ago the Partnership expanded its membership within the community and was joined by the local churches, junior schools, Eton College, Eton Wick Village Hall and the Eton Traders’ Association.  More recently, with the advent of this Rural Towns Initiative, membership was again expanded and now includes local clubs and societies.

 

The Process

The process commenced in February 2006 with public meetings in both Eton and Eton Wick and from those meetings four teams of volunteers were recruited, each team taking one of the subject areas mentioned in the foreword, to research and collate the data which is contained in the appendices to this report.  Eton College has been involved in the whole project from the outset and their Head of Geography, who led the research team looking into local environment issues, involved college boys, as part of their studies, in developing a survey questionnaire along the same four subject areas, and it was made available both in hard copy and online at www.etonsurvey.com. Press articles, posters in shop windows, a display in the local library, and another public meeting gave impetus to the survey and over two hundred and twenty responses were received.    

Data and Survey findings

The Local Environment

 
Both the town and the village have a rural feel to them, with much arable land farmed adjacent to both settlements, and good provision of well maintained green open spaces within.  Of special note is the Brocas, an area of open recreation land in Eton abutting the River Thames, which is strongly protected by ancient statute and managed by Eton College.  Artists’ views of Windsor Castle from the Brocas are popular and plentiful worldwide.  Windsor Castle is the dominant feature of the skyline for miles around.  Similarly, Eton and particularly the College Chapel are readily seen from Windsor Castle and the Home Park, and present a dramatic sight when approaching from Slough on the B3022.

 


There are several examples of Lammas land in Eton and in Eton Wick.  These are open spaces, held in trust for the public, which can never be fenced and will always be available to everyone. The whole area is fairly well served by a comprehensive network of communicating footpaths, public rights of way and cycle routes, although there are some concerns locally about their adequacy and safety.

Residential development is close knit.  Eton Wick was originally a collection of farms which continue to operate, and a couple of listed farmhouses remain today. The newer part of the village clusters around the Eton Wick Road and comprises largely of Victorian and Edwardian semi detached villas and 1950’s local authority housing with very little development since that time. Eton is dominated by the ephemeral population of the College and a significant amount of housing to accommodate it along the linear High Street. Eton enjoys a diverse architectural heritage (with over 50 listed buildings) providing a pleasing market town style.  Newer buildings have been sympathetic to the vernacular architecture including a few successful attempts at modernity.

 


The Victorian railway viaduct connecting the stations at Windsor and Slough is a major engineering monument.  It bisects the parish and was the ward boundary between Eton and Eton Wick until very recently, when that distinction transferred to the A332 Windsor Relief Road running parallel to the West.
 
The main planning issues concern Eton, and derive from the conflict between tourism and commerce and the need to protect the historic fabric of the town, enhance its environment and maintain local services.  The whole of Eton is a designated Conservation Area and there are many listed buildings, particularly around the College and in the High Street. There are a few large detached dwellings on the edges of the town, and some semi-detached homes, but most properties are relatively narrow fronted terraced, with flats over shops and businesses and the larger ‘houses’ providing single room shared accommodation for the ‘boys’.  All properties are generally well maintained with no run-down areas needing redevelopment. Much of the College owned property is tied accommodation, and other property available for sale is generally unique making residential property amongst the dearest in the United Kingdom.  Less than 80 properties are social housing.  Most property built or converted in Eton in recent years has been bought on a buy to let basis, leaving first time buyers few opportunities.  Whereas the owner occupier rate in the Royal Borough is over 71%, the rate falls to just over 30% in Eton. However, it is pleasing to note that, with the change in demographics, an increasing number of local young children attend the first schools.

 


The property mix is noticeably different between the town and the village.  In Eton Wick there are still relatively few detached properties; the majority are owner-occupied semi-detached, with relatively few flats.  Property prices are more modest than in Eton, being comparable to Windsor and Maidenhead.  200 properties are owned and managed by social landlords.

There are no plans for residential expansion anywhere in the area, with brownfield sites few and far between and the Green Belt bordering all settlements.  More recently, amendments to the Flood Plain regulations by the Environment Agency further restrict possibilities for development.

There are currently no plans for major change in the area.  Nonetheless, the tracts of land that make up North Field, which joins Eton with Eton Wick, have recently been considered for a Park and Ride car park and as a site for a new hospital.

The Royal Borough has a comprehensive recycling scheme with weekly collections from residential dwellings and general collection points in both Eton and Eton Wick.  The most interesting conservation issue recently has been the installation of underwater turbines in the Thames at Romney Weir which will provide hydro electric power to Windsor Castle and which will offset 600tonnes of CO2 every year, “as well as being carefully designed to fit into the surroundings, the project will have little impact on the ecology, navigation and marine life of the river.”

The Local Economy

Employment levels are high compared to national and local levels, being situated within the Thames Valley and adjacent to large towns which provide a wide range of work opportunities and career paths.  There are no significant unemployment issues, nor have there been for a number of years.  Wage levels compare favourably with neighbouring towns. A high proportion of the local population are employed by Eton College, and the majority of local businesses exist to serve the college’s needs.  Eton Wick is largely residential in nature and is a dormitory of Eton.

Young children benefit from a good range of pre-school places, and the two first schools perform well above average.  Although state middle and secondary education takes place outside the area, in either Slough or Windsor, the general standard of education remains high, as reflected in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead statistics drawn from the 2001 census.  Local students enjoy above average education facilities.

 


Training is well catered for in the area, with many of the smaller companies providing their own in-house service.  Eton College operates an assessment and personal development programme, training staff from school leaver to skilled operative to the benefit of both the individual and the College.  It ensures that it has all the necessary crafts and skills to maintain all its buildings, many of which are several hundred years old, together with all its facilities and teaching skills, all to a high standard. Only a relatively few number of outside contractors ever need to be employed.  Intersystems UK Ltd, a very successful ICT company in Eton, also provides a high level of training, for both staff and for users of its systems.  Other areas of training, including adult education, are readily available in the larger towns nearby.

A survey of the local business community undertaken in August 2006 identified a need to encourage start up businesses and provide and offer support during the all important incubation periods.
Small businesses, which expand, often have to move out of the area, as there is a lack of secure and suitable accommodation.

Barclays, Coutts and the Post Office offer High Street banking facilities in Eton, with the support for businesses from larger branches close by.  Eton finds itself linked in with Windsor as far as the usual commercial support services are concerned including the Windsor and Eton Town Centre Forum and Town Centre Manager. This is a reflection of the close relationship between the two towns, with tourist attractions of Windsor Castle and Eton College within easy walking distance of one another.  Exclusive to Eton itself is the Eton Traders’ Association which assumes responsibility for a number of the town’s ventures, such as the Christmas lights, Britain in Bloom, where Eton always does very well, the twice yearly French Market and the monthly Farmers’ Market.  Current thinking is that the Farmers’ Market should be expanded.  The Association also works closely with the Town Council to help secure improved local services, more recently with parking and traffic calming schemes and has set up a website at www.eton.co.uk

Market forces are most evident in Eton, where the ranges of retail outlets cater mostly for tourists and/or Eton College, and much less for local people’s everyday needs.  This proved to be the largest concern of residents in Eton when the Eton and Eton Wick survey was undertaken in September and October 2006.  Shop rents continue to rise, causing business casualties, changes of ownership and subsequent refurbishments, making the High Street a pleasant tourist environment, but leaving residents to shop in Windsor and Slough for their groceries.  Correspondingly, the shopping facilities in Eton Wick mostly only cater for the regular needs of the villagers and Sainsbury’s and Asda supermarkets are only a mile or so distant.
Opportunities for business conferences within Eton are more than adequate. All ICT facilities, including Broadband, are readily available and well utilized throughout the area.

The constraints of the Green Belt, the Conservation Area and the extent of existing development conspire to restrict opportunities for business development and there is no land allocated within the Local Development Plan.  At the same time, 50% of businesses surveyed indicated a likelihood to expand within the next two years.

There is still a strong feeling that some of the High Street either near the Bridge or between King Stable Street and Eton Square should be pedestrianised. This might encourage the installation of a proper bus terminal near the Windsor Bridge.

Transport

Transport links are well established with close and easy access to Slough and the M4 motorway and the A4 trunk road.  Access to Windsor by road is less straightforward, as, for structural reasons, the Windsor and Eton Bridge had to be downgraded over 30 years ago to pedestrian use only.  Eton town is therefore akin to a large cul-de-sac as a result.  Eton Wick is dissected by the B3026 which leads to Maidenhead and beyond to the west and links into Eton in the east.  Unfortunately this road has become a rat run for motorists looking to avoid Slough.

Nevertheless, the main traffic routes into the area are well maintained, safe and clearly marked, but the Royal Borough’s planners have said “ …..the main harm to the appearance of the Conservation Area is the visual dominance of traffic, both circulating and parked.  This also causes danger to pedestrian safety and convenience and creates a poor shopping environment.”

Eton, like so many old towns, was never designed to cater for today’s vehicles, and traffic management is always being reviewed and amendments made. At the behest of the Town Council, a very comprehensive Traffic Order is currently being introduced in Eton, to reduce traffic congestion, provide more residents parking, more disabled parking and measures to discourage long term parking in the High Street. Pedestrianising the southern end of the High Street is a frequently recurring proposition.  Eton’s biggest concern remains the College’s class changes several times each school day, giving rise to large numbers of pupils moving between facilities in the town.
The town’s first school is located in the centre of the relatively narrow High Street, giving rise to congestion difficulties at the beginning and end of school days.  Similarly, Eton Wick first school has the same congestion issue, but, that apart, the village is largely devoid of serious problems since speed humps and a pedestrian crossing were introduced on the main through road about four years ago.

Windsor TownLink and First Traveller bus services operate and there are four bus stops in Eton and four in Eton Wick. Local user opinion finds the bus services inadequate, especially in Eton Wick.  Two railway termini are found in Windsor, within easy walking distance of Eton, connecting to Waterloo and to Slough, and providing a generally satisfactory service. There is no national bus company operating from Eton or Eton Wick.

 


Ease of access to transport services is variable.  There are no public transport information points, nor are there late buses on Friday and Saturday nights, or any buses on Sundays, but school buses operate, and there are special services for disabled travellers and raised access ramps to the trains.  Nowhere is more than a five minute walk away from a bus stop and there are plenty of safe off road cycle routes.  The charity “People to Places” provides a regular private bus service to the local Asda supermarket from Eton Wick.

Eton has barely adequate resident car parking facilities, whereas Eton Wick is much better served, and has visitor parking facilities as well.  Eton has some visitor parking, but its adequacy, or otherwise, is an ongoing point of discussion within the community. Nevertheless, visitors surveyed found Eton’s lack of parking, especially at weekends, was its least attractive feature.

Reference to the Royal Borough’s local consultation exercise in 2001 showed both residents and businesses voting traffic congestion the most important local issue with lack of car parking and public transport both high up the same list.

Social and Community Issues

At the time of the 2001 Census, the population of Eton was 3,023 and Eton Wick was 2,099, making a total for the whole parish of 5,322, in 1,421 separate households.  Overall, 14.9% were over retirement age, and 21% of households were occupied by single pensioners. In Eton Wick 22% of people were elderly, higher than regional and national averages. In Eton, with the College, there is a higher level of younger people, boosting the whole parish figure to 24% under the age of 16 years, again above national averages.
Amongst the workforce there is a higher than average number of people (48%) with professional and managerial jobs.
There is a clear divide between the town and the village.  The population in Eton remains fairly stable, whereas in Eton Wick the proportion of elderly is increasing significantly.

 


Eton Wick has had Anti-Social Behaviour problems with young people in recent years, but crime levels are actually low, and Eton College provides its own visible security service which works very closely with the Thames Valley Police.  Demographics might suggest that older people can be frightened by younger people, hence the level of concern at poor behaviour with the knock on effects in terms of health, social care and their attendant costs in the community. The ambulance service is quite satisfactory with response times better than national targets.  The proximity of Heathrow Airport gives rise to higher than acceptable levels of air and noise pollution.

Whilst health services are relatively scant within the parish, Slough and Windsor close by together contribute to a most comprehensive level of health care at clinics and surgeries through to large regional hospitals. Nevertheless, there is no dentist in either Eton or Eton Wick and no doctors surgery in Eton Wick, where a higher than average elderly population exists.

The main unitary authority offices are found in Windsor and in Maidenhead, although Eton Town Council offices, open in the mornings in Eton High Street, is a local access point to the Royal Borough, as are the two libraries in Eton and in Eton Wick, which both open part-time as well.  There is a Local Strategic Partnership for the area, and a Residents’ Association in Eton.

There are an extensive number of sports and leisure facilities provided by Eton College including the Dorney Rowing Lake which will host the rowing events for the 2012 London Olympic Games.  However, not all College facilities are always available to local residents.  In contrast, the other sports facilities in Eton are limited to Meadow Lane recreation ground where two football pitches and the very dilapidated pavilion are shared by several clubs. In Eton Wick there is a thriving football and social club and other football teams use the Stockdales Road recreation ground.  However, beyond football there is little scope for other sports.  A small local survey by the Partnership’s social and community team, undertaken in Spring 2006, did not highlight a need for further sports facilities in Eton, but did request facilities for tennis, cricket and bowls in Eton Wick. General interest clubs are more plentiful and this is a possible reflection on the age profile of the village mentioned elsewhere.  The Eton Wick Village Hall is well patronised and caters for a varied programme of activities, and there are three other well used church facilities and a sports hall in the village.
In Eton, the College makes some venues available for community use, and there are two other community halls as well.
The Church of England and the Catholic Church have religious buildings in both Eton and Eton Wick and there is a Methodist Chapel in Eton Wick. All are well attended and are active in the communities they serve.
There are two local newspapers, both based in Slough, which include the parish within their news and events catchments areas and have good local circulation, and two local FM radio stations, Star FM in Slough and BBC Radio Berkshire in Reading.  Information about Eton is online at www.eton.co.uk and Eton Wick has a site at www.etonwickhistory.co.uk  
The level of legal service provision in the community is low; there are no solicitors practising within the parish and only one legal and conveyancing service provider in Eton, and none in Eton Wick.  Nevertheless, the proximity of providers of those services in nearby Slough and Windsor again seeks to fill the gap.  The local CLSP promotes contact by phone or electronically and recognises the need to improve access in more rural areas, but has not achieved any sort of profile in either community and its purpose and availability is not really appreciated.  The Citizens Advice Bureau in Maidenhead and the Windsor Advisory Service both provide advice to residents of this area.     

The Survey – www.etonsurvey.com

The survey was conducted over an eight week period between mid September and mid November 2006, and sought the views of local residents and visitors. In all, 225 responses were received, reflecting an approximate 4% return by the local population. Twenty five separate questions were asked of residents, most having five levels of answer to choose from and with four tailored opportunities for separate comment. Visitors were given seven questions with five options and an overall invitation to comment further. The questionnaires, bar charts and statistics of returns are found in the appendices to this report.
Analyses revealed several interesting issues.  Far and away the most common observation was that that the retail facilities within both Eton and Eton Wick collectively did not cater as well as they might for the everyday shopping needs of local residents and this was mentioned earlier in the report and is something that the Eton Traders’ Association and the Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead, as landlord of most of the shopping facilities in Eton Wick, are well aware of.  Initial thoughts indicate that there is little that can be accomplished to improve the service provision that many would like to see, but the demise of the small shopkeeper is a national trend and might only be eased by encouraging a supermarket chain to consider a local express facility. The second most often mentioned concern had similar market forces overtones, and that was the limited extent of the local bus services.  Both these areas, whilst not necessarily affording obvious solutions, clearly demand further thought.
Not surprisingly, crime and policing issues featured heavily as well.  Whilst it is recognised that crime is not an issue when compared to neighbouring areas, nevertheless the fear of crime remains high, particularly amongst the older population.  More visible policing would always be welcome and more resources are felt to be needed to tackle anti-social behaviour in Eton Wick which is experiencing a resurgence of the problems with young people congregating in the village centre, and in Eton High Street with the night club fraternity from Windsor spilling over the bridge where the taxis from Slough are thought to be cheaper to hire.  Speeding of vehicles in Eton is perceived as an unattended problem, as are road safety issues generally, bearing in mind that the road network winds its way around and through the College.  The traffic calming measures in Eton Wick, notably the speed humps and their maintenance came in for some criticism.
More litter facilities, dog waste bins and recycling and their more frequent collection are all matters raised that the Partnership, through the Town Council, is taking up with the relevant authorities and the poor condition of pavements in Eton are known to be the  subject of an imminent programme of repair and replacement.
Also often mentioned was the bicycle.  Views differed, but it is probably fair to say that most observations favoured improving and extending the existing cycleway network, although the higher than usual per capita ratio between cyclists and motorists adds to the road safety fears already mentioned, often in areas unable to sustain both vehicle and dedicated cycle lanes.  There are probably insufficient cycle racks around and somehow imposing the one way system upon cyclists in Eton High Street will need to be addressed.  One particular recurring theme was the need for more cycleway lighting.
The lack of car parking facilities for visitors was also recognised, although the land opportunities, and current planning constraints render the possibility very remote anyway.
Young people, more so in Eton Wick than in Eton, were felt to need more activities and opportunities to occupy their time, and the facilities certainly exist with the Eton Wick Youth Club, and with the three younger children’s play areas.
Other issues mentioned more than once in the survey are the provision of speed cameras in Eton High Street, more activities for adults in the area, pedestrianisation of parts of Eton High Street, improved signage for Eton from Windsor, and additional parking facilities in Eton Wick for the village centre and for the school.

Action Plan

Clearly, the findings of the survey provide the areas for future action and it will be the task of the Partnership to organise positive thought, and, where possible, follow through and address the shortcomings. Initial thinking is as follows: -

•    The lack of immediate retail outlets is purely due to the same commercial pressures facing every small town or village.  With the good shopping facilities in the large towns nearby, and the even closer out of town supermarkets, local people are actually well served compared with many other communities.  Perhaps, then, it is the lack of public transport to these shopping centres that is the real concern, and this is addressed below.  Nevertheless, the retail community need to be advised of the issue, particularly as it has emerged as the biggest local concern through the survey, and by a substantial margin. The logical next step is to acquaint and then invite responses from the Eton Traders’ Association, and their counterparts in Eton Wick, the Town Centre Manager, Eton College’s Estates Department and the Royal Borough’s Property Team in their capacities as landlords of the majority of retail premises in Eton and Eton Wick respectively and then to facilitate a round table discussion to hopefully find some initiatives that might ease some of these concerns.  In any event, all the organisations mentioned are already members of the Eton & Eton Wick Partnership.

 


•    The local bus companies face much the same commercial pressures as the retailers mentioned above, and they would similarly be invited to participate in the same discussion and debate. Whilst outcomes are difficult to anticipate, only by communication and sharing of thoughts will any progress be achieved.

•    The inadequacy of facilities for cyclists was also a high scoring issue; understandable when considering the appropriateness of the bicycle over the car when commuting  between the two settlements, especially in view of Eton’s narrow streets and general lack of car parking.  However, there already exists a number of cycle ways, including one between Eton and Eton Wick, adjacent to, but entirely separate from, the B3026. Whilst not separately lit, the road lights provide a good degree of visibility for this cycleway and it may be difficult to justify further improvement purely on cost.  There could be more bicycle racks in Eton in addition to the existing provision and the Royal Borough does intend to provide additional cycle parking on Eton Court car park shortly.  Further discussion with the Royal Borough about extra cycle parking elsewhere in Eton would be sensible, as would be the need to draw to the attention of cyclists that the lower end of the High Street is one way only, north to south.  White arrows on the road in question could easily be provided.

•    The Partnership is hopeful that a number of concerns about lack of policing will shortly be eased. Thames Valley Police are taking a lease on a recently vacated shop in Eton High Street for a Police Office, which will certainly increase their presence and accessibility.  The recent resurgence of anti-social behaviour by young people in Eton Wick is being addressed positively, and the general concerns on crime and its causes are well known.  Thames Valley Police’s move towards Community Policing is now underway and it is confidently anticipated that this new approach will reap dividends.  More particularly, the liaison between the Police, the Royal Borough, the Town Council and the Eton & Eton Wick Partnership has recently improved and looks set for the future.

•    Recent initiatives, aided and abetted by the Partnership, have resulted in establishing funding for extra youth activities, including opening the Eton Wick Youth Club on Monday evenings, and developing a Youth Forum which is being invited to become involved with facets of this Action Plan.  This expansion of facilities for young people had already begun prior to the Eton & Eton Wick Survey and it is recognised as an on-going, high maintenance responsibility of the Partnership.

•    The litter issue gained attention, and was recently raised by the children in Year 4 at Eton Wick First School following a geography walk.  It is very much a matter for the Town Council and the Royal Borough to address together and formative conversations have already taken place.  Additional dog waste bins have been a recurring feature in the Town Council’s recent programmes and will doubtless continue to be, and negotiations with the Town Council’s grounds maintenance contractor and the Royal Borough have commenced with a view to increasing frequency of some collections.  Awareness of personal responsibility for causing litter may have to become a local campaign which would benefit from an interface with a re-cycling campaign.

•    During 2007, the Royal Borough has promised that it will be repairing the footpaths in Eton High Street, and replacing broken slabs.

•    The lack, or otherwise, of sufficient car parking for both residents and visitors is the subject of a vexed and ongoing debate, with Eton’s  currently dormant Residents’ Association constantly alert to the possibility of taking up arms against the Eton Traders’ Association who are anxious to attract customers to their businesses.  The Town Council recognises both points of view and remains pragmatic, but whatever the justifications may or may not be, it remains that no developable land actually exists which would be” fit for purpose”.  Instead, the Town Council has been instrumental in introducing Road Traffic Orders recently, in Eton Wick to successfully reduce the level of speeding traffic through the village, and in Eton where more resident parking spaces, disabled and short term parking and facilities for workers have been introduced.  This is another of those issues which will inevitably remain on everyone’s agenda long term, although in view of recent progress there is probably not much more to be achieved in the short term.
 



•    We now reach, in chronological order, the largest single identified need arising from the survey which would benefit from an injection of capital, and that is a comprehensive refurbishment of the three children’s play areas within the Parish.
    The existing play areas in Meadow Lane, Eton and in Haywards Mead and     Stockdales Road, Eton Wick are all inspected and maintained regularly, but the         age and condition of much of the equipment leaves all three areas looking tired and     less than inviting.  Much of the equipment is also old fashioned and lacks the play     value of more modern creations.  Further consultation is to take place with    all the     mother     and baby groups, child minders, pre-school nurseries, first schools     and the Youth     Forum     with a view to catering for a wider cross section of young people than the present     installations.  The Youth Club would be involved in the equipment choice, design     and     layout.

From this point onwards the issues mentioned were less well supported, as visible from the schedule in the attached appendix, although most were already catered for as a part of the collective points mentioned above, such as the cycleway lighting and anti-social behaviour in Eton High Street at weekends.
Other issues, like the possibility of local sports facilities being more widely accessible or inadequate pedestrian signage from Windsor to Eton are being passed on to other bodies for them to address and respond.
Interestingly, the lack of any public toilets in Eton Wick was only mentioned once through the survey, although it was a main topic identified by Year 4 at Eton Wick First School from their geography walk mentioned above.

The Present and the Future

The whole exercise has provided an agenda for the community.  Some of the results were surprising, particularly the extent of the shopping facilities issue, whereas the need for more and better policing will always figure prominently amongst any decent and caring society.  Nonetheless, there are a number of readily identifiable tasks that can now be tackled, and it will be for the community, in the hopefully not too distant future, to judge how effective the efforts of the Eton & Eton Wick Partnership will have been.  We are encouraged by the high level of response to the survey, but the next task is to publicise the findings so far, and invite further comments from within the community, to make doubly certain that no there have been no glaring omissions to date.

Some issues have already been organised, like the footpath improvements in Eton High Street and the increased presence of community policing, so we can look forward to their introduction, and we can anticipate some early action with some other initiatives.  Very often it is the smaller issues that matter the most.

Interestingly, only one project has emerged to date which has large capital expenditure implications, and thus makes itself the contender for the SEEDA project funding, and that is the refurbishment of the children’s play areas.  Whereas purists may extol the virtues of competition, and thus the need for more than one contender for the funding, the other view is that such a clear front running issue is unlikely to cause much dissension within the ranks of the community.  Without pre-judging the impending consultation, there are a number of advantages associated with this particular project.  Firstly, both the town and the village will benefit, rather than dividing the parish with only one end of the parish gaining at the expense of the other.  Secondly, it will cater for the youngsters of today who are our future, and they can ‘own’ the initiative by being heavily involved in the whole process from planning through to completion.  

There is still much to do.  Whatever conclusions are reached by the consultation, and whichever project may eventually be chosen, it will need to be funded, and much organisation and effort will be needed to raise at least £40,000.
The Partnership is recording its thanks to all the volunteers who have already taken part in the various stages of the data gathering and the survey.  We remain on course, and, with your continued help and support, look forward to the completion of a most satisfactory and rewarding enterprise.






      SUE WARNER

      Chairman,
      Eton & Eton Wick Partnership.
      
      January 2007