This newsletter sees a preoccupation with the situation in the Mill Lane area emerging. Ironically a lot of the area acquired by the new owners, Towntalk, is now within the newly expanded Conservation Area. It will be an interesting test of the Planners' concern for the environment when the new owners come forth with their vision for this part of our parish. Although Towntalk representatives have apparently been in intense discussion with the District authorities and have held a brief meeting with our own Parish Council they have refused to meet with any of the directly concerned citizens' groups. These groups are fairly thick on the ground and many have quite specific views about the usage of that prime riverside land. They include HTPS, the River Thames Users, the Chiltern Society, the Maidenhead Civic Society, and Ellington & District and Mill Lane Residents' Associations, to name just a few. I suppose we shall not be 'consulted' until the Towntalk plans have been fully developed and agreed with the District Council, meaning there's little chance of a change to meet our needs. Still, you never know - their proposals may well be highly acceptable.
There is a groundswell of opinion among Regional Planning authorities that the whole of the River Thames should be regarded as continuous Conservation Area and labelled as 'The Thames Corridor'. I believe the SBDC owns about 12km of river and they have shown great foresight in laying conservation orders on 2km of it. I notice the Marlow Society have created a special River Thames Group, which has as its prime objective 'To protect and enhance the natural and built heritage of our riverside environment': not a bad idea and objective for us to adopt. Included in this group membership are representatives from the River Thames Society and the Chiltern Society. Since they are only just upriver from us we could do worse than link up with them and develop a common vision of our own.
Fred Russell
