Full disclosure for campaigners
A three-year battle by campaigners for full disclosure on a report into the conduct of former Royal Borough leader Simon Dudley made headlines in February.
In 2019, Mr Dudley made a speech at Maidenhead Mosque days before the local election.
It sparked a number of complaints after he was accused of making promises he could not deliver on.
The issue came to public attention once again in 2023, when the council finally removed a number of redactions in an independent solicitor’s report into the incident – more than three years after it was first released.
There was more controversy in February when a plan for 200 homes near Maidenhead Golf Club was backed at a council meeting, causing Tory stalwart councillor Leo Walters to say he was 'torn to pieces' by the vote.
Meanwhile, the Tories stressed that the beloved ‘pets’ corner’ in Ray Mill Island wouldn’t close, although it would no longer be funded by the borough with
its tight budget.
Thankfully for the guinea pigs and colourful birds, the council said it would look at other ways to fund it.
But further criticism came even as the council made some ‘significant changes’ to its 2023/24 budget to retain some key services.
This may have taken the edge off the ‘scary’ budget – but these changes didn't ultimately save the doomed Tories.
On the roads, works finally got underway in Shoppenhangers Road to fix a collapsed sewer – having been originally planned for
January. Drivers were hit by the news that part of the road would be closed to traffic for months to come.
Youngsters had their shining moments, including seven-year-old Harry Sansoy, a Braywick Court School pupil, who wowed the public with a powerful performance on a piano placed at St Pancras railway station, attracting thousands of views on YouTube.
As Shrove Tuesday arrived, the annual pancake race in Maidenhead town centre was anything but flat, with Yorkie the Magpie sweeping to victory in the mascot race.