A FAIR few longstanding councillors will soon no longer be part of either Slough Borough Council or the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead Council as they decide to step down at this year’s elections.
In Slough, eight councillors have decided not to stand this year whereas 10 current councillors elected at the Royal Borough have done the same thing.
Some of the councillors have been at their respective councils for a number of years whereas a few have been elected for a short time.
The Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) has contacted all the councillors that will soon be retiring as elected officials.
Slough
Cllr Natasa Pantelic
The longstanding Labour councillor, who is also the lead member for public health and social care, gave an emotional farewell speech at the last cabinet meeting as she will soon depart the council.
She said that now felt like her time to go.
Cllr Pantelic was first elected in 2008 for the Baylis and Stoke ward but moved over to the Cippenham Meadow ward in 2014.
At the cabinet meeting, she reminisced on making a difference in the town, such as the development of the Willow Primary School and eventually teaching in it, as well as the council’s public health strategies before and during the pandemic.
She said: “I think the pandemic was quite a difficult time for a lot of people and that bonded me with everyone in health. All of our partners and our public health time are really extraordinary.
“I think when you stand down, you don’t know if you made a difference. I think that I have.”
Cllr Madhuri Bedi
The Independent councillor’s announcement that she decided to step down at this year’s all-out election may have come as a shock to her Foxborough constituents.
Originally voted in as a Labour councillor in 2016, she resigned from the group in 2021 and was successful the same year in being an independent voice for the Foxborough ward.
She said it was an “honour” to serve her constituents but made the decision to stand down due to health issues and her “condemnation of all that is wrong with Slough Council and its current leadership”.
She wrote: “I thank you from the depths of my heart for enabling me to be part of your community, be it in Foxborough, Langley, or Slough. You have stood with me throughout my terms, and in the election campaign, I was so deeply touched to have Foxborough residents run my campaign. In you, I have found friendship and a family made of community, I am truly blessed to have served you.”
Cllr Roger Davis
The Labour member has represented Cippenham Green since 2008 and lived in the ward since 1970. Cllr Davis did not respond when approached by the LDRS.
Cllr Joginder Bal
Before the Labour councillor was re-elected in 2021, he represented the Farnham ward for more than 10 years.
He previously served in the cabinet as the lead member for environment and leisure under the then council leader Sohail Munawar.
Cllr Bal did not respond when approached by the LDRS.
Cllr Harpreet Cheema
The Labour councillor was voted in 2019 to represent Langley Kedermister. Cllr Cheema did not respond when approached by the LDRS.
Cllr Harjinder Minhas
The Labour councillor for Langley St Mary’s is stepping down this year but did not respond when approached by the LDRS.
She first tried to be elected in 2010 for the Langley St Mary’s ward but lost to her Conservative counterpart. She was, however, successful a year later but for the Upton ward.
But she lost her seat in 2014 after the Tories reclaimed Upton. But she managed to win back her seat at the council to represent Langley St Mary’s from 2018 until now.
Cllr Iram Hussain
The new Labour councillor was first elected in 2021 to represent Central ward. She decided to stand down without serving a full four-year term.
She did not respond when approached by the LDRS.
Cllr Sandra Malik
The departing Labour councillor was first elected to represent Wexham Lea from 2014 to 2016 and was re-elected in 2021.
Cllr Malik did not respond when approached by the LDRS.
RBWM
Cllr Ross McWilliams
The Conservative councillor has represented Cox Green since 2015 and has even served in the cabinet as the lead member for housing opportunity, leisure, sport, and digital connectivity.
He will be leaving the Royal Borough with his fiancé to start a new life together in Bracknell.
Cllr McWilliams said: “I will still be around as I still have family and friends living in Cox Green. So, I will still be here to support Phil and Sunil.
“Thank you very much for all of your support over the last eight years.”
Cllr McWilliams found himself to be in the spotlight after an investigation into his conduct found he brought ‘disrepute’ to the council and his role following the Deerswood Meadow debacle after he went against officer recommendations for approval of 80 homes on the open space land due to its nearly 50 per cent affordable housing offer despite flooding concerns.
He was acquitted of the serious crime of failing to declare an interest after it was revealed he worked for BECG – a firm that provided its communications services on behalf of the developer CALA Homes.
Cllr Stuart Carroll
The Conservative councillor was first elected to serve Boyn Hill in 2015. He served under council leader Andrew Johnson’s cabinet for children’s services, mental health, health, transformation, as well as adult social care for a few years.
Cllr Carroll, who is an epidemiologist and was part of the government’s vaccine taskforce, said he decided with a “very heavy heart” to stand down due to “professional commitments,” which include undertaking a PhD on the pandemic.
He said: “I am very proud of our strong record, not least delivering some of best schools in the country, protecting our local drugs and alcohol rehabilitation service, furthering public health and excellent adult social care services, emphasising the critical importance of mental health, working through the pandemic, protecting vulnerable people with compassion, and always ensuring Boyn Hill has been invested in and local infrastructure has been prioritised. These are collective Conservative achievements and ones to now build on.
He added: “Thanks to everyone for their support and to you the boss, the people of Boyn Hill, for the chance to serve and represent you. Where I succeeded, I am truly grateful. Where I fell short, I learnt and have always grown and sought to be better. It has been a pleasure, privilege and honour. I wish everyone well. Thank you.”
Cllr David Coppinger
The Conservative councillor was first elected to serve the Bray ward in 2011 and has held various cabinet roles during his time, such as adult social care, Maidenhead, environmental services, parks and countryside, and was even the deputy leader of the council under the Dudley years.
But his most notable role was when he spearheaded the controversial borough local plan, which earmarks multiple sites for thousands of homes to meet the borough’s future population and economic growth, when he was the lead member for planning.
The most contentious site is the Maidenhead Golf Course, which is in danger of being developed into 1,800 homes. Cllr Coppinger acknowledged it was not a popular move but was the “right decision” for the borough.
Cllr Coppinger said: “I became a councillor because I wanted to give something back to an area which quickly became my home, and I am very proud of what I have achieved.
“I am not leaving the area so I am already lining up new interests and would thank the residents of Holyport, Fifield, Oakley Green and Bray for all their support.”
Cllr David Hilton
The Conservative councillor has represented Ascot for over two decades and his most notable cabinet position is the lead member for finance.
He presented a number of budgets during his time and has kept council tax low in the Royal Borough – although some contest that is not the right thing to do.
The council was nearing effective bankruptcy after the 2019 election and a damning CIPFA review heavily criticised the council’s finances and governance. He, along with the finance team, took heed of what CIPFA said and made changes to ensure the council’s finances are open, transparent, and scrutinised.
He did not respond when approached by the LDRS.
Cllr David Cannon
The Conservative councillor first became a borough councillor for the Datchet ward following the sad death of Jesse Gray.
Following the ward boundary changes in 2019, he was re-elected to represent Datchet, Horton, and Wraysbury.
His most notable role in the council was serving as the lead member for public protection and the failure to secure a flood levy on council tax to help pay off the £53m to fund channel one of the River Thames Scheme, which would have protected the three villages from flooding.
He decided to step down despite being selected again by the local Conservative Association.
Cllr Cannon said: “It has been a great honour to represent residents of all of our three villages and I have done so to the best of my ability whilst working within the constraints of local government, keeping the needs of the ward and its residents at the forefront in all my dealings, as both an RBWM councillor and cabinet member.”
Cllr Christine Bateson
The Conservative councillor has represented Sunningdale and Cheapside for nearly 30 hours and became deputy leader of the council for three years from 2000 to 2003.
She announced last year she intended to step down at the 2023 election and for her last hurrah as councillor, members appointed her to be Mayor of the Royal Borough.
She said at the Mayoral ceremony last year: “After 27 years, I am retiring from the council at the next election and I hope to use my last year as a councillor, and as Mayor, to meet as many residents as I can and to give back to the place so dear to my heart.”
Cllr John Bowden
The Conservative councillor was initially elected to represent Clewer East in 2015 but was later elected to represent the Eton and Castle ward four years later.
He lived in this Windsor ward since 1996 and chaired the Windsor and Eton Town business partnership, the Windsor Town Forum and is a member of the Windsor Urban Development Panel.
Cllr Bowden declined to comment when approached by the LDRS.
Cllr Gary Muir
The Conservative councillor was elected in 2007 at a by-election and represented Datchet and was re-elected in 2019 to serve the people of Datchet, Horton, and Wraysbury.
Cllr Muir has been the Royal Borough’s deputy mayor for a number of years and has served alongside several Mayors during his tenure.
He did not respond when approached by the LDRS.
Cllr Greg Jones
The Conservative councillor has represented the Riverside ward since 2019. He won the by-election after the then council leader Simon Dudley resigned shortly after the election.
He did not respond when approached by the LDRS.
Cllr Chris Targowski
The Conservative councillor has represented the Riverside ward since 2019 initially with Cllr Dudley until his resignation.
He did not respond when approached by the LDRS.
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