Fears that RBWM’s planning approach may be hampering its climate goals

The Royal Borough has recorded some of the strongest carbon emission reductions in the country since 2018, according to its latest report – but concerns have been raised that the council is shooting itself in the foot with conflicting goals across departments.

Between 2018/19 and 2023/24, emissions from the council’s estate fell by 33.46 per cent, with work ongoing to meet its target of a 50 per cent cut by 2025/26.

Emissions across the wider borough dropped by 18.6 per cent between 2018 and 2022 – the largest reduction in Berkshire and among the top 10 per cent nationally.

Much of this was achieved through efficiency works at schools and council buildings, with more than £3million in grants for low-carbon upgrades.

The council also purchases 100 per cent of its electricity from renewable sources and has replaced oil heating systems across parts of its estate.

Elsewhere, more than 30,000 trees have been planted since 2020 at Ockwells Park and other sites. The Borough has also delivered various rewilding projects.

Some of the environmental Projects funded by the Climate Partnership since April 2024 include:

• A vegan café by Eco Action Hub – a community-driven pop-up promoting plant based diets and sustainable living 
• Community gardens at Kerith Church Windsor, All Saints Church Dedworth and St Luke’s Maidenhead
• Decarbonisation in schools – a retrofit project of low carbon heating, lighting upgrades and infrastructure improvements
• Wildlife-friendly verges by Maidenhead Lions
• Reusable festival cups by Windsor and Eton Pride
• Bat tunnel and hibernation roosts by Bisham Ice House (Bisham Woods/Bisham Abbey).

Meanwhile, the council’s Climate Partnership – which brings together businesses, residents and campaign groups – was praised as an example of ‘best practice’ by Climate Emergency UK earlier this year.

However, speakers at a Place overview and scrutiny committee meeting on Tuesday (June 10) raised concerns over what might be missing from the Borough’s efforts.

Dave Scarborough, speaking on behalf of the Climate Emergency Coalition and Eco Action, said the Borough had ‘made some good improvements’ and had some ‘great ideas’ but some targets ‘were rather easy’.

One of the most important things, he said, was reducing consumption – and he wanted to see work done to raise awareness and tackle this and other ‘hard but necessary’ issues.

He asked that the next strategy be ‘more ambitious’ with targets that are ‘really meaningful and challenging.’

Meanwhile, Andrew Hill – a campaigner who has long against building on Maidenhead Golf Course – had concerns that RBWM was shooting itself in the foot with conflicting goals.

He was referring specifically to the tall buildings SPD, a document which lays out guidance on how tall buildings should be in different parts of the Borough.

Mr Hill noted that in planning deliberations, council officers have branded the SPD as being of ‘negligible weight’, meaning it is not strong enough to count as a robust argument against large housing projects with blocks of flats on controversial sites.

This in turn leads to house-building which harms the environment by taking away green spaces, such as the golf course, and increasing emissions from car journeys, he felt.

“What are you going to do to get planning officers to reinforce, rather than and undermine, the work of their fellow officers in sustainability and climate?” Mr Hill asked.

“You should both pull in the same direction, not against each other.”