New Christmas lights for Windsor

An ambitious £200,000 plan to upgrade Windsor's Christmas lights is well underway.

The Royal Borough has invited agencies from all over the world to submit plans and drawings for a spectacular lighting scheme that would help create a memorable seasonal walk in the town centre. It is hoped that the new lights will be ready for switching on this November.

A shopping list of other improvements to the centre of Windsor also won councillors' support on Wednesday, when members of the Royal Borough's planning and housing scrutiny panel met.

High on the list was the need to carry out maintainance work on Windsor, Eton bridge which has deteriorated badly since its half a million pound refurbishment 12 years ago.

An initiative to create a welcoming new 'gateway' from the end of Peascod Street into St Leonard's Road is also on the wish list - following concerns that cafe tables and chairs across lower Peascod Street are creating an artificial barrier between the two key shopping areas.

A widening of the road and footpath next to King Edward Court are also on the agenda as are improvements to the Windsor Riverside kiosk area.

Cllr Eileen Quick (Con, Clewer East), the council's lead member for Windsor also revealed that the borough would be negotiating with police to ensure that some sort of presence was maintained in the town, following recent revelations that the force is considering selling the existing police station in Alma Road