Park & Ride Timeline
1966
- Windsor motorway Spur Road is built.
1970's
- Conservatives at Berkshire County Council propose a Park & Ride for Windsor at Eton. Northfield or Southfield seem likely locations, however no funding becomes available.
1988
- Liberal Democrats founded
1990's
- The new Lib Dems adopt the Conservative plan - both parties now agree on Park & Ride at Eton.
April 1998
- Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead becomes a Unitary Authority - and takes over responsibility for its own Transport & Roads from the now abolished Berkshire County Council.
2000
- The Jubilee River is built through the Northfield site adjacent to Motorway, where it had long been assumed Park & Ride would be built.
May 2003
- Conservatives voted off council after planning to spend £67 million on a new Town Hall for Maidenhead.
July 2005
- London wins the Olympic Games and it is decided rowing events will be held at Eton College's existing rowing lake at Dorney - The Liberal Democrat Council uses the Olympics to secure a promise of funds for Park & Ride from Regional Assembly as part of the Olympic travel plan.
May 2007
- Conservatives take control of Council and soon vote themselves a 91% pay rise.
- The cost of these new allowances are more than the expected running costs of the M4 Park & Ride.
May - November 2007
- Conservatives perform u-turn on Park & Ride and campaign against the council they now run building the Park & Ride they have advocated for over 30 years. They could of course just have dropped the plan when they won in May.
November 2007
- Conservatives present the plan for Park & Ride at Southfield to themselves at Cabinet and vote to cancel the Park & Ride.
- Now Southfield has been ruled out Lib Dems call for an alternative plan to be developed - using the Regional Assembly Money to build an M4 Park & Ride at a different location.
April 2009
- Eton Town Council express concern that Olympic visitors won't spend any money in Eton, as the Olympic Park & Ride will now be at Wycombe and Ascot.
- Wycombe District Council get the Windsor Park & Ride money for the Wycombe Park & Ride.
2010
- Liberal Democrats call on the council to examine a brownfield site proposed for a Park & Ride in Slough and to talk to Slough Borough Council about the possibility for a joint scheme serving both towns.
- Any such scheme now seems long off as the Conservative's 2007 decision will have put Windsor at the bottom of the funding list.
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Page date Jan 11