The Future of Twickenham and it's Riverside

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

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..