Progress for Jen Simpson’s fence petition: “councillors unanimously agreed that the petition ‘should’ be heard by cabinet [which] will thus engage with residents, community groups and ward councillors to agree on a way forward” – Slough Express, 1/12/25

Over 1,700 Cippenham residents signed the petition against the 8 foot spiked fence the Tory Council put up around the Eltham Ave car park with no consultation. The photo shows Jen, left, at the fence with Bridget Orr, Lib Dem councillor Frank O'Kelly & they were joined by other unhappy residents 

So many signed it that Jen Simpson, lead petitioner and local resident, was allowed to present the residents' case at meeting a of Slough Borough Council (SBC) on 27 Nov 2025.

Jen thanked the Council for the opportunity to speak on behalf of residents, and explained she was “asking for the support of all councillors.” This was because, “The message that the residents have received from this fence is that decisions effecting their everyday lives can be made without consultation, without impact assessment and without regard to community groups and residents who rely on that space.”

Jen Simpson highlighted all the groups who were able to use the car park before the Council put up the massive fence. These included not only FC Cippenham for match days when they ran football for a full-range of youth teams, but also all those who used it on non-match days because there was easy pedestrian access to the hard surface, and across that to the outdoor gym. 

She explained, “those groups, including organisations supporting children, mothers, disabled individuals and ones supporting  the local health and wellbeing of all, have effectively been sidelined. This is not just a minor planning oversight, it is a blow to the heart of our community.” 

Jen highlighted the important work undertaken by the community volunteers who ran FC Cippenham. She also explained that while, “the fence remains dozens of mobility-challenged residents continue to lose crucial access to the outdoor gym and to the open space as they cannot navigate the muddy walkway between the new fence and the building [changing rooms] which is now the only access point for them.”

Jen listed the full range of points made in the petition (see previous story on this website from 11 Sept & 13 Aug). She finished by saying: “I urge all members to support this petition, remove this fence and work with residents to restore confidence in how we manage our shared public spaces.”

Opening the councillors' debate on the petition, the Leader of Slough Council, Conservative Cllr Dexter Smith, thanked Jen Simpson for presenting the residents' case and told the Council that ever since the fence had been put up, Cippenham Village ward Cllr, Frank O'Kelly had been telling him about how the fence was causing concerns to residents. Nevertheless, despite this Cllr Smith then listed the various points the Council tried to make against those made in the petition.

But, Lib Dem Cllr Frank O'Kelly spoke next and explained why points made by the Council in response to the petition were wrong, (and members of the public sat behind Cllr O'Kelly made it clear they agreed with him that the Council's response was wrong):

• “The response while on paper it looks reasonable is not factually correct. [It says] ‘Residents and local groups continue to have access to all recreational facilities within the open space that they currently do.’  They do not, because there is an Open Air Gym which could easily be accessed previously which is now barred to anyone unless you want to hike through the mud to get to it.”

• “It talks about ‘There is no impact on the green space.’ For the reasons I've just outlined there's a massive impact. There's also an impact on your eyes - it looks like an industrial park.”

As described in the earlier stories, the fence is near a bend in the road and it blocks the view of drivers just at the point where a child might run out of the changing rooms. Cllr Frank O'Kelly explained that consultants had told the residents' group there are questions about the legality of putting up an 8 foot fence beside a highway which is a main road (it's a bus route), because the Council should have sought planning permission because it could block the view of drivers. 

Cllr O'Kelly concluded: “So, I'd really like a pause for breathe and instead of the Council digging in its heels and saying ‘we’ve done everything right', take a step back, get some objective opinions in here and help the residents regain the access they previously had.”

Various councillors spoke in support of the petition, including Lib Dem Cllr Mohammed Nazir who highlighted that the Cippenham residents were experiencing something quite different from what the Council claimed was happening. 

Finally, as the debate on the petition drew to a conclusion, Cllr Sabia Akram, Leader of the Lib Dem Group, crucially moved a recommendation, “that Cabinet resolve to engage with the community groups, ward councillors along with officers in order to assess the current situation and the decision that was taken, and also that Cabinet provide the residents' group, or working group, with evidence of … that detailed assessment that the Leader [of the Council, Cllr Dexter Smith] talked about as well as look at options about a future resolution.”

The Leader of the Council said he accepted Cllr Akram's recommendation, that was seconded by Cllr Frank O'Kelly, and it was unanimously accepted by the full Council.