Our Initiatives

In line with our intended aim to protect our heritage and the environment in Henley we have been, and continue, to lobby for various improvements.

Not least of these is the (un)cleanliness of the streets and pavements in Henley and we have been lobbying SODC (the responsible authority) to improve their performance.

The prevalence of cigarette ends, food packaging, dog waste, both solid and liquid, chewing gum and overflowing bins are an unacceptable feature of the town and do nothing to encourage the tourists, which our retailers and hospitality businesses so badly need for their survival.

Seven per cent of our shops are currently unoccupied, very much below the national average, but we need them filled.

Another part of our lobby is to encourage, via the Henley Town Centre Manager, retailers and frontagers to the main shopping streets to take responsibility for keeping the pavement from their doorstep to the kerb clean, by regularly washing down, a practice which has all but died out over recent years. It is a matter of civic pride.

Following the lobbying of SODC the authority have agreed to meet with us in August to listen to our concerns.

The ‘H’ graffiti on the side of Henley Bridge has been in place for over a year now and  Wokingham Borough Council are the authority responsible for removing it. Sadly, matters move slowly and who knows when we might see the removal of the offending ‘H’ but we continue to press.

The unfortunate condition of the Marsh Lock Horsebridge, with reopening many months away, is another concern. This is a part of the important Thames Path, which is now only accessible due to the generosity of Mr. Schwarzenback who has allowed a diversion over his land. We question whether The Environment Agency might have been less than diligent in their inspections and maintenance over previous years.

We recently noted that some of the plots on the Council-owned Waterman’s Allotments have been covered in old fencing, broken chairs and other discarded household rubbish and the Town Clerk has now informed us that HTC will undertake to clear the said plots. Should the offending plot holders be asked to contribute to the clearance? Or have their plots taken from them?

There is a length of pathway on the Marlow-side of Grade 1 Listed Henley Bridge where contractors, over two years ago, removed paving slabs to insert broadband wiring and as a Health and Safety measure with the Regatta approaching the area was tarmacked. The slabs have never been replaced and the contractors concerned have since gone out of business. We are pressing Oxfordshire County Council to obtain the correct slabs and replace them but it appears this might not be in their work schedule until 2024.