Viewpoint: Debate over future of Jenner's Café

Don’t they know how we feel about ‘gem’?

There has been a lot of talk, on social media and otherwise, about Jenner’s Café closing down.

Mostly positive and very much in favour of the café staying as it is, although some people have been scathing about Andrew Jenner.

Let's not dwell on whether he was popular on the council or not, it’s not him that the majority of us are concerned about, but the fact that the local council is not renewing the lease and wants to replace the café.

Don't they realise how most Maidonians feel about this gem?

I used to take my family when it was the green ex-cricket hut, which is now, incidentally, at the Chilterns Open Air Museum.

Nothing beats sitting outside in the sunshine with a decent hot or cold drink and cake, sandwich, or even a fry up.

We definitely need a decent toilet block only because the one at Jenner’s is quite small.

Why not let them keep their facilities for customers only and build another block somewhere on site for everyone to use?

Spend the excess money on improving the children’s play park, this is very old and tired now and there is a lot of room behind it for expansion.

Please Lib Dems, do not proceed with such an unpopular plan to replace a much-loved place.

J ATTWOOD

Maidenhead

Few other options for full English and cuppa

I doubt very much any local councillors frequent Jenner’s Café.

If any of us Maidonians fancy a nice mocha coffee and croissant or a fruity tea and panini, we have a plethora of places to visit in our locality, but, if we really have an urge for a tasty English breakfast with a cup of builder's tea or, my favourite, double egg and chips, there is very little choice.

Whenever I've been into Jenner’s it's been full of builders, road workers, cyclists and local people wanting this type of establishment.

I gather that at least 3,000 signatures have been given to try to keep Jenner’s open, myself being one. Why change what is so well established and appreciated for what it is, a great British café.

HELEN CONNOR

Maidenhead

Council does not seem to care about business

I wish to protest at the council’s actions which could result in the closure of a much-loved riverside café called Jenner’s.

OK, it’s not posh, but it serves good food at reasonable prices.

It serves a good breakfast much loved by local tradesmen and everybody else.

Tradesmen obviously like it because it’s not posh and accepts them in their work gear. Why should the Jenner family have to spend their hard-earned money fighting the council for their livelihood?

In my opinion they have established user rights but the council doesn’t seem to care about local businesses which, at the end of the day, provide work for local people.

E SHEPHERD

Longmead

Windsor

Political machinations for café motivation?

As a former councillor and cabinet member I try very hard to understand the machinations of the current administration.

Their main concern appears to be the mess they say we left the finances in.

While I disagree with this and especially paying a 7.5 per cent tax increase, I am amazed that they have the money to build a new café in Riverside Gardens.

Yes, the existing cafe is tired, but the welcome and the food is excellent.

Is it because the lease of the facility is held by a former Conservative councillor? Who knows ? Residents want action to help us all through the difficult changes that will take place in Maidenhead, not wasting money where its not essential at this stage.

DAVID COPPINGER

Bray

Turn out to support United women’s team

British sports fans have become accustomed to our women outperforming our men, with the Lionesses recently twice-champions of Europe and England’s Red Roses the reigning Rugby World Cup holders.

Locally however there is a team of women representing the town of Maidenhead and doing all Maidonians proud – and they have another date with destiny next month.

Maidenhead United Women – managed by former Premier League footballer Dave Kitson – play in Tier 4 of the English women’s league system, just three divisions down from the household names of the Women’s Super League.

In fact, we play at the same level as women’s teams at the likes of Leeds United, Blackburn Rovers, Norwich City, Fulham and Queens Park Rangers, punching above our weight as a club as true underdogs.

Our players may not be able to attract the headlines that Leah Williamson and Alessia Russo deservedly attract and they certainly don’t get the financial benefits – MUWFC footballers do not receive a penny in terms of salary.

But in terms of team spirit they can match the very best.

Our women play for each other, for the love of the game and the glory, not to become millionaires.

They are on course to record their best-ever FA Women’s National League season and on Sunday, March 15 they will defend their Berks & Bucks Senior Cup title against divisional rivals Ascot United in the final at Beaconsfield Town FC, in a 2pm kick off.

Admission is available on the gate priced at £5 for adults, £1 for under 16s and FREE for under 5s.

If you’ve never watched a game of football before, take my word for it that the women’s game is devoid of the cynical gamesmanship and poor sportsmanship that the men’s Premier League is known for.

You can rest assured that the people of Ascot will turn out in force as their own talented team look to win the trophy for the first time.

So on Mothering Sunday what better
way for a family to spend a day celebrating the women in our lives by coming along
to support a true Maidenhead success story?

NEIL MASKELL

Club secretary

Maidenhead United

Golden opportunity to build new hockey club

Your recent article on the Elizabeth Quarter serves as a timely reminder that we need more than just blueprints; we need the imagination to ensure this development truly serves the community.

​As a former member of the golf club, I can attest to the excellent condition of the existing clubhouse. Under current plans, the new secondary school – and its associated sports facilities – won’t be realised until 1,000 houses are built.

This delay is unnecessary and short-sighted.

​By integrating the school’s required AstroTurf pitches into the plan now, we have a golden opportunity to provide our town’s hockey club with a dual-pitch hub and a ready-made pavilion.

This move offers three distinct advantages:

• Zero impact on parkland: placing the pitches near the existing clubhouse protects the vulnerable parkland further from town
• Solving the Braywick congestion: It allows the hockey club to transition away from Braywick Park, easing the inevitable congestion as Maidenhead United pursues its new stadium
• ​Immediate community value: Instead of waiting years for ‘Phase X’, the council and developers can deliver a high-quality community asset today.

​This is a win-win that requires only a bit of renewed enthusiasm from the council and the developer to see the obvious logic.

We shouldn't be building a community ‘sometime in the future’ when the tools to improve it are sitting right in front of us.

And of course, with Desborough College opposite, there is the opportunity to offer their students an opportunity to play on a great surface for their hockey too.

JAMES WILDING

Academic principal

Claires Court

Can we afford not to fix potholes properly?

Motorists and cyclists will have noticed the significant increase in potholes recently as a result of the cold, wet weather conditions.

There is no doubt that the weather is a factor but there are two other factors that will have affected it.

Firstly, the way they are repaired by just filling the hole with cold bitmac, without any preparation, leaves the repair in the situation where the surface eventually breaks out around it. A recent BBC online news article featured a small gang demonstrating how they deal with potholes in West Berkshire, using the same contractor we use.

When asked he said it would only take 10 minutes.

The demonstration showed them squaring off the area, breaking out and filling with bitmac before compacting properly.

We are often told our repairs are temporary, but none ever seem to be permanently repaired.

Secondly, unlike most highway authorities the Royal Borough doesn’t use surface dressing as a means of keeping our roads sound, and hasn’t done so for many years.

From recent correspondence it seems this was the contractor’s decision but, as client, officers should be making this type of important policy themselves.

Surface dressing is the most cost effective treatment to protect local roads and stop potholes forming.

It is significantly cheaper than other resurfacing and patching; seals the road from water, preventing cracks and potholes; gives roads a new textured surface, extending its life by 10-15 years; and is a lower-carbon option than traditional resurfacing.

From published figures the number of potholes dealt with in RBWM’s area was 894 in 2020/21 and grew significantly each year to 2,791 in the last financial year (2024/25).

This year will be much worse.

Can we afford to let this situation continue indefinitely?

BARRY GIGGINS

Greenacre

Windsor

Site not appropriate for football ground

I was surprised to receive a reply to my letter in last week’s Advertiser (February 20) from a ‘Name and Address Supplied’. Never mind.

The letter provides an interesting insight into the thinking behind the proposed 5,000 seater stadium, sorry, ‘ground’, on Braywick. A few points worth mentioning:

1. The author states that the area in question is ‘sparingly used’. Really? In that case, I look forward to reading the space utilisation study to support the claim.

2. Apparently the area is in ‘poor physical condition’. I don’t know what the soil conditions are like underneath, but above ground, the area provides a lovely open space that is accessible for all.

3. The new ground will improve the ‘biodiversity’ on Braywick. This is classic greenwashing. How will this part of Braywick become more environmentally welcoming when much of it will be covered in tarmac and steel?

4. The ground will be the ‘sporting hub within the town’. In reality, the proposal is in a peripheral location and will deprive Maidenhead town centre of much needed footfall during match days.

I’m not concerned who the individuals are behind the scheme, but I do know that Braywick is not the appropriate location for a new football ground.

Jonathan Neal

Forlease Drive

Maidenhead

Time to own finances and stop blaming past

It is right to acknowledge that today’s financial position is rooted in decisions taken over a number of years.

The Conservatives faced exceptional and unforeseen pressures, particularly during COVID, which had a profound impact on local authority finances nationwide.

That context matters.

But context cannot become a permanent explanation.

The Liberal Democrat administration has now been in charge for almost three years.

That is three full budgets and three clear opportunities to change course, strengthen financial resilience and set out a credible long-term plan.

Yet the latest draft budget shows a £50.7million funding gap next year.

More concerning still, debt repayments are projected to take more than 25 per cent of the council’s annual budget in the medium term.

When more than a quarter of spending is forecast to go on servicing debt rather than delivering services, residents are entitled to ask serious questions. Acknowledging past challenges is reasonable.

But after three years in office, it is no longer sufficient to rely primarily on the word ‘inherited’. Leadership means taking ownership of both the problems and the solutions.

So the question is a fair one: how much of the current trajectory is still inherited and how much is now owned?

Residents deserve clarity, accountability and a clear plan for the future.

Cllr SALLY CONERON

Leader of the RBWM Conservative Group

Biodiversity policy not a constraint on growth

As a member of the Maidenhead Neighbourhood Forum and author of the Biodiversity section of the Neighbourhood Plan, I would like to clarify what these policies mean in practical terms for residents.

This is not abstract environmental language. It is about how development in Maidenhead works on the ground.

A major achievement is the inclusion of biodiversity net gain, now required nationally under the Environment Act 2021.

Every qualifying development must deliver at least a 10 per cent measurable increase in biodiversity. In simple terms, nature must be left in a better state than before.

That gain must be secured for a minimum of 30 years.

In an urban and flood-prone town like ours, this matters.

Our policies require Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) in appropriate developments — rain gardens, swales, permeable paving, green roofs and blue roofs. These are not decorative extras. They slow water down, reduce pressure on drains, improve water quality, cool urban areas, and create habitat for wildlife.

We also require green and blue corridors to remain connected, allowing species to move through the town rather than becoming isolated.

Given Maidenhead’s history of surface water and fluvial flooding, combining biodiversity enhancement with water management is simply good planning. Well-designed green infrastructure protects homes, supports wildlife, and improves quality of life.

Biodiversity net gain is not a constraint on growth. It is a safeguard for a more resilient Maidenhead.

Donna Stimson

Maidenhead Neighbourhood Forum