New Conservative leader says 'time to rebuild' in Windsor and Maidenhead

The Conservatives ‘need to build up what’s been lost’ in Windsor and Maidenhead and focus on working for the borough’s residents, according to the party’s new leader.

Tory councillor Maureen Hunt (Hurley and Walthams) will lead the party’s depleted group of seven representatives on the council.

She told the Advertiser residents had ‘lost faith’ with the Conservatives over local issues such as the overdevelopment of flats and future of the golf course as well as the wider cost-of-living crisis nationally.

Councillor Hunt said: “It was really sad to see so many good and hard-working Conservatives lost their seats.

“Obviously it was due to both national and local issues, including too many flats in Maidenhead, the golf course and the lack of car parking.

“Nationally, everybody has really been hit by the cost-of-living. The Conservatives need to build up working with the residents.

“The residents have lost a lot of faith because of the cost-of-living crisis and because they feel we haven’t heard them.

“We have heard them.”

Councillor Hunt, a borough councillor since 2007, admitted the future of Maidenhead Golf Course has been a key issue for residents.

But she said the Conservatives needed to comply with Government housing targets and the golf course was deemed to be the most suitable option for new homes in the borough.

“We’ve got to follow what Government say. That was the main issue, we were getting all these numbers that we had to comply with on planning,” councillor Hunt said.

“I know the Independents want to make this a Great Park, I’m not sure how the administration (Lib Dems) feel about it.

“Where are we going to put all these houses we need to have?

“What we need to listen to is what our residents want, how we can best do it and still comply with the Government.”

Veteran councillor Leo Walters was among the Conservative contingent to secure re-election to the council earlier this month.

At the age of 90, having served as a councillor since 1974, the Bray representative has just about seen it all in local politics.

He told the Advertiser the Conservatives need to work alongside the other parties on the borough, particularly on the wider protection of the greenbelt.

He said: “All these years we’ve been mostly in opposition to each other but I’m quite happy to collaborate.

“I know it’s difficult in politics when you have all these political aims but now we won’t have those anymore.”

He added: “I will do my best to protect the greenbelt in co-operation with the Lib Dems and others.

“There’s no point in fighting each other.”