Castle-council partnership means better benches in Windsor

Residents and visitors in Windsor are finding that sitting down is a lot more comfortable, thanks to a joint scheme by the Royal Borough and Windsor Castle that has refurbished the well-used benches lining the pavement from Thames Street to Castle Hill.

Some 70 benches have been upgraded in the phased scheme that kept the majority in use during the contract, which has now been completed.

Cllr Eileen Quick, lead member for Windsor, said she was delighted that the partnership between the Castle and the council had resulted in the much-needed refurbishment work.

She said:  "I would like  to thank Windsor Castle for their generous participation in this scheme. As is often the case these days, organisations working in partnership can achieve so much more than if they work alone.  These benches outside the Castle are constantly used by residents and visitors alike and the joint approach means we can share the responsibility for the benefit of everyone."

Windsor Castle is funding the refurbishment and annual maintenance, with the borough organising the work and liaising with the contractor, L & L Installations (Gainsborough) Ltd, which has worked successfully on other Royal Borough schemes such as Cookham Footpath 60 and Bisham Brook footbridge.

The work involved removing the old bench slats, painting the metal brackets and replacing the slats with the oiled oak timber prepared off-site.  Only small sets of benches were removed at any one time so that plenty of seating capacity remained in use.