Strong feelings lurked below the surface as supporters of plans for a new Windsor Town Council faced councillors on the ruling Royal Borough on Monday.

The meeting of Windsor Town Forum - which is the ruling authority's own committee dedicated just to Windsor - was held online to discuss with residents' their hopes for a locally based Town Council which would handle specifically local issues.

The Royal Borough would remain in overall control if the Town Council did happen but must still give consent before it can.

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Cllr John Bowden, who chaired the meeting, represents Eton and Castle ward on the Royal Borough and described himself as a 'junior Windsorians who has only been here 24 years'.

He insisted he was not 'for or against the idea' of a Town Council while adding that he had reservations.

He said: "In the last couple of years I have seen massive ceremonial matters in Windsor that the nation and the world has seen on TV.

"The Royal Borough has actually performed all the tasks to make them safe and glamorous events which obviously raised revenue nationally.

"The borough did that. It would not have been the Town Council - so yes I have some reservations."

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His comment came soon after a visibly angry Richard Endacott, a member of the steering committee hoping to get a Town Council up and running, had brought things more down to earth by saying issues like parking, planning, bins and anti-social behaviour would be better handled by a more locally based authority.

He left no doubt that he felt the Royal Borough had let the people of Windsor down badly over its handling of the the controversial plan to build a massive block of apartments and offices on the old Imperial House site in Alma Road. The council turned the plan down but failed to convince a Government inspector to uphold its decision.

Mr Endacott said: "When it went to the inspector the way Windsor residents were represented was appalling."

The final decision about whether to allow a Town Council will rest with the Royal Borough which is expected to come to a conclusion next year.