Maidenhead & Windsor

The Royal Windsor and Maidenhead Borough is motoring ahead with plans to further increase parking space in Windsor town centre – and is calling on businesses and organisations with available evening and weekend parking bays to become part of the solution.

Cllr Colin Rayner, lead member for highways, transport and environment, said: "We would like businesses near the town centre and with employee parking bays to call us to discuss making these spaces available to shoppers and visitors outside office hours. This is fairly common practice in other towns with major tourist attractions.

"This could be a mutually beneficial arrangement with visitors to the town centre having a wider range of parking options and businesses getting involved in helping the community as well as benefiting from an otherwise unused asset."

The Windsor and Maidenhead council is already in very positive discussions with Berkshire East Primary Care Trust about the possibility of using King Edward VII Hospital's parking with a weekend shuttle to the town centre.

Paul Roach, town manager for Windsor, sent a parking questionnaire to businesses in January and the council is following up all potential opportunities. Anyone who is interested in working with the council on this is invited to return the questionnaire to Paul or call him on 01753 743921.

The Royal Windsor and Maidenhead Borough is also introducing the use of the Alma Road overflow coach park for car parking. This will be at the discretion of the parking attendants who will make the decision about when the park will be used for cars based on the number of coaches expected on any particular day.

The council has already freed up 170 parking spaces for residents by converting double yellow lines to singles and creating resident-only parking.

Other options to increase the number of spaces and travel options for visitors include:

* the possible extension of Home Park car park – discussions have taken place with Crown Estates and designs prepared
* making best use of the privately owned King Edward Court car park – the council is in dialogue with the owners
* talking to South West Trains about introducing reduced fares for Advantage Card holders from Datchet, Horton and Wraybury
* improving bus services with real-time information
* improved signposting and driver information for car parks.

The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead