Articles and Speeches

Valley Garden Reprieve
28-Apr-06, Windsor Express Article.

I have been inundated with objections from local residents since proposals were announced to fence off the Valley Gardens. People were deeply concerned that hundreds of years of free access to the beautiful grounds was at risk.

The Valley Gardens Action Group was quickly formed and, with the backing of 20,000 supporters, they objected strongly to the proposals.

So I was delighted to be informed this week that the Crown Estate has decided to defer the fencing proposals! The Crown Estate has done an excellent job of caring for the parks under their stewardship. They have now shown that they really do have the best interests of the community at heart by listening to the concerns of local residents.

This is a great example of democracy working at a local level and I am proud to have been able to play a small part in the process. Outcomes like this make the job worthwhile. It’s a bright and sunny day in the Great Park.