Alexandra Gardens is Looking More Lawn… What Do You Think Sir Barry?

I took a drive down to Alexandra Gardens this first thing to get some pictures of it looking more lawn, than it has for some time, in the morning sun. Two thirds of the available lawns had been covered by rides since last March requiring it all to be replaced! Firstly, the ferris wheel from March to September and weeks later, the 40 ton rides associated with the Ice Rink. Heavy rain had prevented a quick turnaround in February and they are likely to be completed over the next couple of weeks, just in time for the lawns to be covered again!

Best enjoy it, if Planning Application 25/00037 is given the all clear it will mean another 6 month lease, the whole spring and summer into autumn. RBWM generated £40k last year from the wheel, not sure what the deal will be this year but we’re guaranteed 4 new bird boxes which will boost the biodiversity by over 30% according to recent reports published on the planning portal!

Is a big wheel taking up ⅙ of the available lawn space, right at the entrance to the gardens what the people of Windsor want? Not according to a Facebook Poll.

Totally get kids will go WOW for 6 seconds but is that the purpose of the gardens?

Alexandra Gardens was given to the people of Windsor by Sir Francis Barry, our MP at the time. What would he think of the gardens being given over to a fun fair for 9 months of the year? I don’t think he’d be too impressed. An ice rink for 6 weeks over Christmas is fun, 9 months is taking the proverbial.

What is insightful, the current cabinet were objecting to previous cabinets’ desires to make the gardens more commercial and even ran a campaign which they mention frequently but they appear to have gone quiet at this time?

I had asked for this topic to be brought to the Windsor Forum next week but the cabinet has chosen to ignore my request.

I wanted to present my findings and ask a few questions.

I would have liked to discuss how they determine the fee for a business to be based in the park. There appears to be no correlation between the actual rate card and what they charge their preferred suppliers.

With the debt so high, surely, if we are going to rent out public amenity space at a cost to public mental health, then we should be getting the best return.

If you’d like to see the more of the lawns and less of big metal funfair rides then sign the petition on RBWM’s website:

Give Alexandra Gardens back to the People

Currently 273 have signed… click above…

We the undersigned petition the Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead to discontiue long term contracts for the eastern half of Alexandra Gardens preventing public access to the lawns.

Mental health is a massive issue in 2025 with social media demanding our attention every 5 seconds. Residents need Alexandra Gardens back for the people of Windsor to get away from the hustle and bustle and enjoy some mindfulness.

Random weekend usage for big events that pay a full licence fee, or no fee if a community event, is great but 3 month contracts to any single contractor, allowing them to dominate the public space to the eastern half of Alexandra Gardens should be discouraged and discontinued.

Thank you.

Jon Davey