Richmond Borough Council has been changing political control each election over many years now, still the riverside fiasco gos on. Are our current masters really serious in their immediate actions, or just jumping on to popularity with the public?
Let us not forget, the last time the Conservatives were in control they stopped an earlier Libdem plan and promised a ‘Jubilee’ garden. This, simple and quick to construct, never happend. It is possible they will say they do not have the funds to carry out their election promise? Then starting again some form of commercialism to fund a small part of the site for public use?
Like many things in our Borough great opportunities are lost through bad timing and indecisions. The first planning in the 20th century was one such occasion when Twickenham could have been better planned.
At the time of the 70’s attempt, the late award winning architect Kenneth Hathaway, was commissioned by ‘The local Labour Party Twickenham Study Group’ to produce a new Town Plan, Named as ‘A Fresh Start’ he updated with revisions in 1994 and 2000, after much discussion and consultation with community groups and local people. The future of Twickenham Town Centre and its Riverside has long been the concern of the Twickenham Labour Party.
This document set the Riverside in the broader context of the need for reappraisal of the whole of the town centre, its shopping, pedestrian and motor traffic and its connections with its surroundings. In its scope and attention to detail it is as relevant to day as when it was written.
It needs to be read with the realisation that decline uncertainty and lack of action by Council administrations over the years have taken their toll on the pool site, and therefore aspirations such as the renewal of the swimming pool have become more costly. However today there is a new awareness of the importance of the environment, and its relevance in terms of space and amenity to the community, which is now accepted by all.
To this end the Twickenham Labour Party considers it imperative to restart and revive this consultation.
At the same time to take this opportunity to bring back into public use this Riverside heritage area, under the control and for the benefit of the community as a park where community activity and leisure can be realised to the benefit of the town its residents visitors and traders.
The broader environment of the town centre must be considered, where the unique Riverside setting is the principal asset of Twickenham. The continued public open space use of the pool site and its overall integration with the town should not be jeopardised by the ruse of non statutory education provision justifying speculative Riverside housing.
Although some small things have been done the full ‘Hathaway’ report is still relevant today and can be seen at www.twickenham-planning-kenelmes.co.uk
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Thursday, April 8, 2010
BOOM!! All over
Here's a solution to all the controversy over full-body scanners at the airports -
Have a booth that you can step into that will not X-ray you, but will detonate any explosive device you may have hidden on you.
It would be a win-win for everyone, and there would be none of this crap about racial profiling and eliminating a long and expensive trial.
Justice would be quick and swift.
Case Closed!
Have a booth that you can step into that will not X-ray you, but will detonate any explosive device you may have hidden on you.
It would be a win-win for everyone, and there would be none of this crap about racial profiling and eliminating a long and expensive trial.
Justice would be quick and swift.
Case Closed!
Monday, March 1, 2010
TWICKENHAM RIVERSIDE
A Home Town Blog. For visitors from far away, to my Blog, Twickenham – the Home of England Rugby – is also blest with some of the most beautiful reaches of the River Thames, including ‘Eel Pie Island’ historically famous as an early venue for ‘ The Rolling Stones’ and many other groups at the beginning of Rock & Roll.
The land opposite the Island was purchased by the council in 1924 as open and recreational space for the people of Twickenham. As it has now become a desirable site for luxury housing, overlooking the Thames, for the past 30 years subsequent council members (both Libdem and Conservative when in control) have tried to sell it off for over development with luxury flats or town housing.
Both parties’ attempts being thwarted by public meetings, demonstrations, a petition of over 10,000 names among lots of other activities. The people of Twickenham have said NO loud and clear.
Twickenham Riverside development has become a ‘Political Football’ by both the parties taking it in turns in controlling Richmond Council.
When set up the by the late Kenneth Hathaway, (www.twickenhamriver.org.uk) an international award winning architect, the River Thames Terrace Group was very careful to make sure we had conservative, libdem, labour and later green party members as well as no party independents to obtain the best use of the site for the people of Twickenham and our visitors according to the purchase of the land in 1924.
The plans drawn up by Mr Hathaway, as a result of these discussions, were submitted to and approved by the Council, and could have been implemented at a fraction of the costs to date in consultations and legal fees.
The Governments Freedom of Information Act has recently revealed the true cost of Twickenham Riverside to Council Tax payers.
What a state of affairs! massive sums of tax payer’s money already spent on development proposals without any end in sight. Proposals that ignore the wishes of the community, expressed by a petition of 10,000 signatures and a local referendum.
The most stupid proposal in these days of financial restraint is the planned destruction after 5 years of use of a perfectly useful popular amenity, namely the existing children's playground, cafe and toilets. In order that land can be leased for 1000 years to a housing developer building roads, parking, private gardens, and dwellings of 3 and 4 storeys dominating and overlooking the Embankment.
What amenity does the public get in return? a new playground liable to flood, renovation of the Embankment, a strip of open space part on the roof of a building , plus the irony of a new office and education building in order that we can be lectured & advised on preserving the environment.
The tragedy is that the money spent to date could have helped restore the remaining area of land to community use as public amenity open space, as defined on its purchase in 1924 and its subsequent public use..
The land opposite the Island was purchased by the council in 1924 as open and recreational space for the people of Twickenham. As it has now become a desirable site for luxury housing, overlooking the Thames, for the past 30 years subsequent council members (both Libdem and Conservative when in control) have tried to sell it off for over development with luxury flats or town housing.
Both parties’ attempts being thwarted by public meetings, demonstrations, a petition of over 10,000 names among lots of other activities. The people of Twickenham have said NO loud and clear.
Twickenham Riverside development has become a ‘Political Football’ by both the parties taking it in turns in controlling Richmond Council.
When set up the by the late Kenneth Hathaway, (www.twickenhamriver.org.uk) an international award winning architect, the River Thames Terrace Group was very careful to make sure we had conservative, libdem, labour and later green party members as well as no party independents to obtain the best use of the site for the people of Twickenham and our visitors according to the purchase of the land in 1924.
The plans drawn up by Mr Hathaway, as a result of these discussions, were submitted to and approved by the Council, and could have been implemented at a fraction of the costs to date in consultations and legal fees.
The Governments Freedom of Information Act has recently revealed the true cost of Twickenham Riverside to Council Tax payers.
What a state of affairs! massive sums of tax payer’s money already spent on development proposals without any end in sight. Proposals that ignore the wishes of the community, expressed by a petition of 10,000 signatures and a local referendum.
The most stupid proposal in these days of financial restraint is the planned destruction after 5 years of use of a perfectly useful popular amenity, namely the existing children's playground, cafe and toilets. In order that land can be leased for 1000 years to a housing developer building roads, parking, private gardens, and dwellings of 3 and 4 storeys dominating and overlooking the Embankment.
What amenity does the public get in return? a new playground liable to flood, renovation of the Embankment, a strip of open space part on the roof of a building , plus the irony of a new office and education building in order that we can be lectured & advised on preserving the environment.
The tragedy is that the money spent to date could have helped restore the remaining area of land to community use as public amenity open space, as defined on its purchase in 1924 and its subsequent public use..
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Leaders debates? - Yes but not on our present electoral system.
So the Media have got their way - for years they have been trying to bring our electoral system to more of a presidential election.
At one time complaining that our Prime ministers have been to presidential, on another time saying they do nothing. We have cabinet government in Great Britain, and when there is cabinet discussion to arrive at good policy forming the media cry ‘uturned’ and ‘indecision‘.
I can not cast my vote for any of the party leaders, until now I have always understood that we cast our vote in our constituency for the best candidate we believe would represent us in parliament, and the leader of the party gaining most seats would be sent for by the Queen to form a government.
If we fall inline with what the ‘well informed’ media want (with their ‘experts’ in everything, but decision makers in nothing, and the same old news media hacks) we will need two votes, one to cast for the debaters and one for our constituency member of parliament. That would soon end up with a ‘lame duck’ leader with nothing to lead as they often do in America.
I am not saying we do not need a change, but if we have a change it can only come about by overall electoral reform, our present system has only evolved over the years by gradually clipping back the powers of the land owners and the people who believe they had the divine right to rule the rest of us without a proper written constitution, this can be clearly seen by the ‘modern’ conservative party continually calling for a public enquiry into everything without offering alternative policies.
The biggest disservice done to politics in this country in recent years has been by the cynical approach by the media and it’s commentators like Neil. Paxman, Marr and Dimblebey, (who dose not chair a meeting without continually butting in before a person on the panel has completed their answer) who have their own agendas to push.
Leaders debates? Yes but not on our present electoral system.
* First published ‘Twickenham online-communities site
At one time complaining that our Prime ministers have been to presidential, on another time saying they do nothing. We have cabinet government in Great Britain, and when there is cabinet discussion to arrive at good policy forming the media cry ‘uturned’ and ‘indecision‘.
I can not cast my vote for any of the party leaders, until now I have always understood that we cast our vote in our constituency for the best candidate we believe would represent us in parliament, and the leader of the party gaining most seats would be sent for by the Queen to form a government.
If we fall inline with what the ‘well informed’ media want (with their ‘experts’ in everything, but decision makers in nothing, and the same old news media hacks) we will need two votes, one to cast for the debaters and one for our constituency member of parliament. That would soon end up with a ‘lame duck’ leader with nothing to lead as they often do in America.
I am not saying we do not need a change, but if we have a change it can only come about by overall electoral reform, our present system has only evolved over the years by gradually clipping back the powers of the land owners and the people who believe they had the divine right to rule the rest of us without a proper written constitution, this can be clearly seen by the ‘modern’ conservative party continually calling for a public enquiry into everything without offering alternative policies.
The biggest disservice done to politics in this country in recent years has been by the cynical approach by the media and it’s commentators like Neil. Paxman, Marr and Dimblebey, (who dose not chair a meeting without continually butting in before a person on the panel has completed their answer) who have their own agendas to push.
Leaders debates? Yes but not on our present electoral system.
* First published ‘Twickenham online-communities site
Sunday, December 6, 2009
David Cameron
Well, well, well - talk about bring on a class war”
Cameron has over stepped the line this time taking his election campaign to the front line of the theatre of war.
Why does he not get out of the way and let our fine fighting men get on with the job in hand.
Posing in the poppy fields, in the way of the army, taking up officers time.
Has he no policies to offer for discussion, just keep throwing up these smoke screens. Lets get down to debating policies.
Cameron has over stepped the line this time taking his election campaign to the front line of the theatre of war.
Why does he not get out of the way and let our fine fighting men get on with the job in hand.
Posing in the poppy fields, in the way of the army, taking up officers time.
Has he no policies to offer for discussion, just keep throwing up these smoke screens. Lets get down to debating policies.
Saturday, October 24, 2009
MPs Expenses
The Telegraphs, both Sunday and Daily, expenses campaign has generated to nothing more than a witch hunt, knowing that more distaste by the public will rub off onto the incumbent government। MPs are no different from any other group of people, Policemen, Teachers, Lawyers, even Newspaper Columnists they all have their small percentage of members who need rooting out for some illegal reason or other.
The Telegraph is trying to deflect attention away from Cameron’s opposition party who have nothing they can add to NewLabour policy of making a discredited and broken capitalist system work fairer for all with a softer edge.
What is needed ia completely new and controlled method of Banking and finance.
One thing overlooked by the Telegraph, and other media is that they have forgotten to mention it was the Thatcher CONserative Government which introduced the ‘second home’ policy for MPs, and other expense claims।
All this so she could avoid raising MP’s salaries which she knew would be an unpopular move at the time। We get our members of parliament fairly cheaply compared with other countries. That does not excuse the few from breaking the law and/or rules as set up by the Thatcher CONservative government.
Cameron’s broken Britain has its origins in the Thatcher CONservative Government when she declared ‘there is no such thing as society’ and sold off the council Housing forcing up house prices, which then went out of control, one of the main causes of the current financial collapse।
Had NewLabour not brought in the freedom of information act, none of this would have come to light anyway: they were about to bring out the MPs expenses when the Telegraph paid someone to commit a crime in stealing these from a government office। I always understood it to be a felony to pay and entice someone to commit a crime।
Why hasn’t action been taken against the Telegraph?
The Telegraph campaign to whip up indignation and disgust among the people over a political system outdated and past it’s useful time, which NewLabour have been slowly reforming over a period of time - i।e. devolution, House of Lords etc. brings to mind another point. -
How many of these people have bought something in a Pub or from the back of a van or seen someone who will “Tarmac your front drive for cash mister, I have some left from my last job I can’t take back and I wont charge VAT” ?
If every body paid their fair share of tax, the basic tax rate could probably be cut by 3 or 4 pence in the pound.
The Telegraph is trying to deflect attention away from Cameron’s opposition party who have nothing they can add to NewLabour policy of making a discredited and broken capitalist system work fairer for all with a softer edge.
What is needed ia completely new and controlled method of Banking and finance.
One thing overlooked by the Telegraph, and other media is that they have forgotten to mention it was the Thatcher CONserative Government which introduced the ‘second home’ policy for MPs, and other expense claims।
All this so she could avoid raising MP’s salaries which she knew would be an unpopular move at the time। We get our members of parliament fairly cheaply compared with other countries. That does not excuse the few from breaking the law and/or rules as set up by the Thatcher CONservative government.
Cameron’s broken Britain has its origins in the Thatcher CONservative Government when she declared ‘there is no such thing as society’ and sold off the council Housing forcing up house prices, which then went out of control, one of the main causes of the current financial collapse।
Had NewLabour not brought in the freedom of information act, none of this would have come to light anyway: they were about to bring out the MPs expenses when the Telegraph paid someone to commit a crime in stealing these from a government office। I always understood it to be a felony to pay and entice someone to commit a crime।
Why hasn’t action been taken against the Telegraph?
The Telegraph campaign to whip up indignation and disgust among the people over a political system outdated and past it’s useful time, which NewLabour have been slowly reforming over a period of time - i।e. devolution, House of Lords etc. brings to mind another point. -
How many of these people have bought something in a Pub or from the back of a van or seen someone who will “Tarmac your front drive for cash mister, I have some left from my last job I can’t take back and I wont charge VAT” ?
If every body paid their fair share of tax, the basic tax rate could probably be cut by 3 or 4 pence in the pound.
Thursday, October 1, 2009
LABOUR - Securing Britain's Future
They are back, and they’re off!! No, not the politicians - Paxman and the two Andrews, Neil and Parr, the BBC’s own ‘we cynical 3 with our own agenda to push’ who try to rubbish Gordon Brown; whatever is said always goes back to the PM.
They ask so little about politics, only around the peripherals and negative questions. When a minister comes back with a good reply the 3 cynics change direction or say we are running out of time.
A good interview with the PM is often spoilt by silly questions on taking pills and the state of his eyesight from unfounded rammers - and the 'get Brown somehow' attitude.
A few years ago the BBC set up some good political programmes, now spoilt by this approach. The media make the news instead of reporting it, and pick out sound bites to suit themselves.
I often watch a whole speech on the Parliament Channel or News 24; when you see the report and sound bite on the main news it looks like a completely different speech.
Peter Mandelson made a brilliant speech at the Labour conference, I am no lover of Mandelson but I wonder what the news editors will make of that, poring over it to ridicule the speech and taking sound bites they want.
Even the 24 hour News needs a shake up. We get ‘experts’ in everything, shadowy figures talking in the dark, the voice of an actor, what a load of nonsense.
The same old hacks doing the newspaper reviews patting each other on the back saying how good their column is. Why not get some members of the public to review them instead of telling us how good they all are?.
They ask so little about politics, only around the peripherals and negative questions. When a minister comes back with a good reply the 3 cynics change direction or say we are running out of time.
A good interview with the PM is often spoilt by silly questions on taking pills and the state of his eyesight from unfounded rammers - and the 'get Brown somehow' attitude.
A few years ago the BBC set up some good political programmes, now spoilt by this approach. The media make the news instead of reporting it, and pick out sound bites to suit themselves.
I often watch a whole speech on the Parliament Channel or News 24; when you see the report and sound bite on the main news it looks like a completely different speech.
Peter Mandelson made a brilliant speech at the Labour conference, I am no lover of Mandelson but I wonder what the news editors will make of that, poring over it to ridicule the speech and taking sound bites they want.
Even the 24 hour News needs a shake up. We get ‘experts’ in everything, shadowy figures talking in the dark, the voice of an actor, what a load of nonsense.
The same old hacks doing the newspaper reviews patting each other on the back saying how good their column is. Why not get some members of the public to review them instead of telling us how good they all are?.
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