Coach Park footbridge set for a makeover

Windsor: ‘Essential repair and refurbishment’ work to cost £150k

Windsor Coach Park’s lift and footbridge are set to receive a makeover following a cabinet meeting last Thursday.

The area is set to be given a £164,000 virement of the council’s capital budget for ‘essential repair and refurbishment’, according to a report presented by lead member for finance David Hilton.

Although the proposed cost of the project is £150,000 a ‘variation of the covered bridge section and pending assessment from bridge engineers may increase costs’ hence the need for additional funding.

The virement will come from money originally set aside for the Boulters Lock car park extension in Maidenhead, which is said to have stalled due to ‘increasing contract costs’ and the quotation cost far exceeding the budget provision.

Lead member for Windsor and ward councillor, Samantha Rayner, said she was ‘delighted that some money had been found’ for the refurbishments.

She added: “This is an incredibly important arrival into Windsor – it’s a key part for the car parks, Alexandra Gardens, Alma Road and Barry Avenue, as well as coaches.

“In a typical month, we will have 20,000 cars parked in those three car parks, so an awful lot of people are coming into Windsor, and their first arrival into

Windsor is through [the bridge].

“One of our weaknesses is this area, so this vast improvement will make a tremendous amount of difference.”

Cllr Gerry Clark (Con, Bisham & Cookham) said that ‘to bring forward the [Boulters Lock] car park was going to require additional funds’.

“Therefore, given that those additional funds have not actually been secured, the virement of the funds to an urgent scheme doesn’t actually preclude bringing that forward – it just means the exact sum of money that would need to be found to fund it going forward would still need to be found.”

Opposition councillor John Baldwin echoed the remarks cabinet had made about the ‘very necessary improvements to the coach park, adding it was a ‘very welcome development’ for people with accessibility requirements.

“I know that these are issues that Cllr [Amy] Tisi and Cllr [Karen] Davies have been actively promoting for the last two and a half years, so we’re delighted to see them coming forward,” added Cllr Baldwin.