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13 February, 2008
At this time when there are alternative proposals being offered for this site, TRTG wish to bring the public attention the simplicity and practicality of their original scheme.The Twickenham Riverside Terrace Group (TRTG) has fought long and hard to keep the Twickenham Open Air Pool Site as public open space. It is already terraced, it has splendid views over the River Thames.
It has a usable block of toilets at the foot of Water Lane a successful children's playground and Café. It has existing usable buildings which can be renovated at a fraction of the cost of new.
The open space is already there, it requires clearing and planting. Open space that can be used by the community for Farmer /French Markets Open Air Art, skating, performance by theatre groups. Etc.
If it remains open space its potential is always there. Your Council will call it a brownfield site to excuse their indolence over the years while they have wooed developers in the hope of making a profit on its sale. The provision of open space for the whole site making use of the existing buildings bringing people and vitality to this River frontage is feasible and now with collective action within our grasp.
The time has come for community action by supporting us.
The open space, playground Café and toilets should occupy the present pool site. For under £1 million landscaping the remaining site and renovate the River Bank seating and planting is achievable. Your Council has spent of the order of £ 1/2 million each year for the past 3 years. on plans to develop this site. Let the River Centre have time to raise its own funds as originally planned the land will still be there when their plans and proposals are finalised.
This way we do not lose an important Riverside amenity to a developer. TRTG says let us show this Council that we are no longer dependant on their plans but wish to use the money they have put aside for their own plans in a different way an incremental step by step rehabilitation of the site. This will mean that there is no need for enabling development.
The Councils proposals
The Council plans major building of houses and flats 3 and 4 storey in height new roads and parking a public open space overlooked by the housing .as for the popular Children's playground this will change its location to an area next to a River Museum Centre at the Water Lane end of the site. It appears to be 1/2 of its present area and will lose its Café. All these proposals are on view from the 13th Feb at York House. There will be a meeting on the 18th Feb at St Mary's Church Hall Church Street at 7.30 sponsored by the Twickenham Society. Please make your views known.
Your Land
Your Council holds this land in trust for the community. Land purchased by a caring Council in 1924 by means of a loan from the Ministry of Health for public walks and pleasure purposes. Your Council needs to honour this commitment and the importance today of open space, its conservation and the need to treasure our community resources. This generation and future generations will wish to know how such a usable public asset could lie unused for over 27 years. Remember the present playground, café and other landscape amenity built at a cost of £1.2 million were financed out of Council funds.
If you wish to support us and take part in our campaign please contact 020 8898 7600.
The Committee - Twickenham Riverside Terrace Group 12 February 2008
4 December, 2007
We are now informed what the Councils Project aims are:-Clear and practical advice to the market in respect of the broad shape of acceptable schemes. An assessment of the key urban design issues for the site. The identification/ analysis of the prevailing property market conditions for appropriate land uses.The provision of an outline analysis of the potential alternative development options for the various parts of the site. The provision of a development appraisal analysis to assess the commercial viability of the emerging development options.
That the Site priorities are Environment Trust River Centre. Highly sustainable scheme
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High quality design, of a scale and density that are appropriate for the sensitive location
- Play facilities and open space improvements
- Adjusted affordable housing content
The language is taken to be "developer speak" which is intended to send the right message to developers. This expensive exercise costing us some £1/2 million is to give advice to the market. The market is not identified but could it be by any chance the property market?
Any illusion you may have had that it was your land or that you had any say or any voice in this matter should have been clearly dispelled when the alternative of doing something different from what the Council proposed was not an option to be considered. It is usually claimed at these times that the Council must get best value from the site. This only applies when land is sold. The other claim that it is barren is tantamount to saying your Council have allowed it to decay and therefore to clear it up they must sell it. What is reprehensible is the main benefactor an Environmental Trust appears not to be aware of the irony of covering public open space in bricks, mortar and tarmac to provide a centre for the environment.
- The Council informs us. The proposal is that the scheme itself will fund the shell of the River Centre building through the profits generated by its enabling residential/commercial elements. It will be provided at no cost to the Environmental Trust. Contracts with a developer partner would be put in place that assure this to be the case. The shell building cost is £3 million.
- We are informed that The River Centre is provided by a commercial development of high quality design, of a scale and density that are appropriate for the sensitive location. But the Council tells us that appropriate scale and density is a height o 3 to 4 storey, the number of houses 18 or 44 flats. Placed in a ring to the S and W of the existing site. Consider the present King Street Parade this is 3 storeys high. We are seriously being told that it is necessary to create buildings as high or higher than King Street Parade to justify this River Centre. Buildings that will create a sun screen for the rest of the site. A road system that results in 2 way traffic in both Water and Wharf Lane. A new road for the housing at the rear of the site. New restaurants Cafes. This is the interpretation of developer speak for high quality design, of a scale and density that are appropriate for the sensitive location.
- We are informed that there will be play facilities and open space improvements. But hold on site planning briefs say the site was to have a significant area of Public Open Space as the predominant feature of the site. This open space turns out to be an area equivalent to the present rockery and path. Play facilities turn out to be smaller than the present, without its Cafe the reason for its success, and its location is now elastic. The Councils clever ruse is to include the existing open space on the Embankment. They will take it away, smarten it up and give it back to us. That area of the Embankment allowed to deteriorate for years by this Council. Take a look at the seats if you can find them. But that is not all, the present M.O.L. green island at the bottom of Water Lane becomes a Loading area for Eel Pie Island.!
- Last of all is the Adjusted affordable housing content. This is developer speak for housing that contains no affordable housing, that is not inclusive, that is contrary to Government policies and open to challenge.
Clear and practical advice to the market, with no concern for the public, whatever did you expect a miracle!
12 November, 2007
This public open space by the River Thames is the envy of any riverside Borough throughout this nation. It seems like only yesterday the Community were fighting off a developer who wanted to build 44 flats an underground fitness and Cinema complex with many style bars at ground level all in the name of enabling development. But that was before the environment became a buzzword.
As the information seeps out from the current Council's Consultants Options meetings it begins to be evident that time has wrought little change. The brief to the Councils chosen Environmental Consultants has resulted in enabling development of 18 houses or 44 flats, far greater than that required to finance a basic shell building for the River Centre. The existing playground/café are not defined, public open space, including that existing at the foot of Water Lane is under threat by reason of an elaborate road system, to suit the housing.
The price in community terms is too high.
It appears to be a catch all, for years of neglect and expenditure. Expenditure over years on consultants. Neglect of the Embankment neglect of the site, and community.
No question as to whether a River Centre and this housing development is what the community wants. At the end is the prospect of a profit in the Councils coffers. Another piece of vital green space lost to the public. For this site, this has been going on for years. This time round it has a new excuse in the name of the environment and a new catch phrase exemplar sustainability.
No concern for the future, no concern or care for the next generation. There could exist on this site enjoyment of the River Thames by open space available for community activities. Activities such as open air skating, farmers markets, exhibitions, marquees, theatre groups, open air art. Open space once built on can never be recovered. Development on this scale is environmentally unsound and far from sustainable.
The paradox is evident the Leader of the Council wishes to make Richmond the greenest Borough, while at the same time building a River Centre, 18 houses or 44 flats on public open space. The Council also claim that in order to be able to limit the amount of building to these figures there will be no social housing.
Paradoxically The Environmental Trust for Richmond can have avowed green credentials and concern for the environment while at the same time build a River Centre on Public Open Space, and in order to do that build with equanimity 18 houses or 44 flats. It is evident that any environmental concern has been forgotten provided that it can be preached in its own new building at public expense.
The Environmentally sound alternative.
This nonsense must cease, expenditure of the order of £160,00 in 6 months, in order to work out the best way of not upsetting a developer. This could have been spent on renewal to green of the first 25% of the existing boarded site. Conservation work and the sort of renewal that the Environmental Trust judging from their publicity would be proud to undertake.
There are existing buildings on site that can be used. The ET could as a start renovate and use one of these, nobody will think any the less of their River Centre if it made such sensible use for an existing building, fund raising can go on. Council's Town Centre Management says there is a need for measures to bring people into Twickenham. Open space by the River as in Richmond is the answer for minimal cost. There are even proper toilets waiting for renovation. Public open space means that an community asset is used and not lost for all time.
This is environmental work in the true meaning of conservation, the Councils green Consultants should understand this. Conservation is a bigger challenge, than building on open space, but could result in no profit for the Council, there's the rub. Twickenham by making use of what it already has, poses a challenge for this Council to listen and learn, speak to the users of the existing playground and Café, they are a representative cross section of the community for now and the future, Mums and Dads, Grandparents and children. They wish to keep this open space and extend it in area. If this Council is inhibited by reasons of financial gain from heeding what the community wants, then the conclusion follows that this Council no longer represents the community, but itself.
23 September, 2007
A chance to have your say about the latest proposals to regenerate Twickenham Riverside will top the agenda at a meeting this week. The development proposals will take centre stage at a meeting of Richmond Council's Finance and Strategy Overview and Scrutiny Committee on Thursday September 27. The meeting, which will include a presentation by the design consultants, Urban Practitioners, will be held in the Council Chamber at York House, starting 7pm. A model will be on view from 6pm.
21 September, 2007
The Twickenham Riverside Terrace Group invites you to a party at:
Arthur's by the River, Jubilee Gardens, The Embankment, Twickenham, TW1 3BX
28 September at 7pm to 10 pm.
This Party has been organised to rally support for:-
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The retention of the existing excellent children's play and public refreshment facilities as a permanent site feature beyond 2009.
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To pressure the Council to honour their commitment to significant public open space for the remaining site.
For the occasion Arthur's are providing a large Paella and TRTG a glass of wine to the first 50 guests. There will be a cash bar & raffle.
TRTG will be seeking your positive support and a contribution to our expenses together with support for our petition which is now over 3000 strong.
It is vital that the Council realises the strength of public opinion in support of the aims we have mentioned above. So we would ask you to register your support of these by sending emails saying so, and giving your name & address to:-
The Leader of The Council, Serge Lourie Cllr.slourie@richmond.gov.uk
or the Riverside Ward Councillors:
Denise Carr cllr.dcarr@richmond.gov.uk
David Trigg cllr.dtrigg@richmond.gov.uk
Michael Wilson cllr.mwilson@richmond.gov.uk
If you know a parent, friend or colleague would be interested please let them know.
If you wish to take an active part in our campaign for the Riverside Pool site and wish to know more details please email us at mail@twickenhamriver.org.uk.
TRTG is a non party community action group whose purpose is the restoration of Twickenham Pool Site to public use for now and the future.
TRTG Sept 2007.
21 September, 2007
The Twickenham Riverside Terrace Group (TRTG) is a community action group dedicated to restoring public open space on the Twickenham Pool site. TRTG considers that the development football of this site has been kicked around for too long. To allow a site by the River in the centre of Twickenham to lie derelict for 27 years a perfectly usable piece of land originally purchased by a community spirited Council in 1924 for public walks and pleasure purposes to remain closed to the public for this length of time is an unprecedented wasteful neglect of a community asset.
The positive building of a popular and successful children's play area and café in 2004 should remain. TRTG considers the Councils plans to dismantle and move this amenity which assists in bringing parents and business to the town centre shops is acting contrary to the wishes of parents and the community, as well as a public waste of money.
TRTG will campaign for the Council to implement its proposals for public open space on this
riverside site and to put into action the UDP Inspectors recommendations. Its ongoing petition has already over 3000 signatures and is growing daily.
TRTG is concerned that the built development to justify the Councils expenditure on the shell of the proposed River Centre will not be limited to that purpose alone. Offices for HANDS and community toilet use of the River Centre are preplanned doubt as to the method of funding. The site area is not defined, whether it includes the present car park in Water Lane, or co operation with the owners of that car park and King Street Parade. The River Embankment is understood to be included,in the site area. The Councils failure to maintain the River Embankment and recent post playground contractual neglect of the pool site will be added into the cost. These costs will be further increased by the heady mixture of exemplar sustainability building, and ill defined grandiose district energy plans. In achieving these ends the Council plans to circumvent current affordable housing requirements solely in order to increase the return on the development. This could result in higher denser luxury housing developments, creating a wealthy housing ghetto. The value of this site in this prime location far exceeds the basic cost of the River Centre.
TRTG draw attention to the dangers to the community of neglecting the principal requirement of public open space, an amenity to all ages. Examples of building on former privately owned amenity sites such as Richmond Ice Rink have been detrimental to the leisure opportunities of the community. Massive Riverside flat developments along the River Thames, locally evident at Kingston, Putney and Kew, have resulted in accommodation out of the reach of first time buyers.
By again handing over the pool site to developers the Council are sacrificing a community leisure amenity in a unique position in the centre of Twickenham. A public leisure amenity that the Council have chosen to neglect for over 27 years. The only charitable reason for this must be lack of will and vision. There has been no research into revenue raising activities for an open space in this unique situation. The amenity is already there, all it needs is a determined responsible Council who can see into the future and realise that our children and future generations will not thank us for building on every conceivable open space by the River Thames whether it has the excuse of exemplar sustainability or not.
It remains to be seen whether the latest appointed Consultant 5 practice team come up with any acceptable proposals. If the £1/2 million allocated had been spent by the Council in 1984 we would now be improving on a useful amenity. It is certain that if the combined money that has been spent on reports schemes and surveys over 25 years had been spent on the site itself we would have an amenity the envy of all. It is not much to ask of a Council that they spend on amenity and the future. s costed its original site landscaping cost, assuming that the present site is partly used by (a) The Children's playground and (b) The River Centre, leaving approximately 2000 sq metres. This cost is of the order of £600,000. It is this small sum of money,(equivalent to a normal years Council spend on paper reports and proposals for this site) that stand between public and commercial use of this site.
To put the present state of affairs in context a brief history of a neglected community asset is appended.
Land purchase
The land in the centre of Twickenham between the River Thames, King Street ,Water and Wharf Lanes was purchased in 1924 by the then Twickenham Urban District Council with official sanction of the Ministry of Health for public walks and pleasure purposes, surplus land, and street improvements, the period of repayment for the Ministry of Health loan was 60 years. This area is designated Twickenham Riverside Site T1 in the Unitary Development Plan.
Land Use
On this land stood Richmond House which was used by a community meeting place until it was demolished in 1928. The land on the King Street frontage was conveyanced to others in 1928. In 1937 King Street Parade shops with flats over was built with its rear service road.
The remaining land was public open space until the present swimming pool was opened in 1935 as a consequence of a public petition for a local baths in 1928. The pool was open from 1935 to 1981 when it was closed for repairs. A sum of £500,000 was allocated for repairs and refurbishment in 1984 from the proceeds of the Civic Centre development, this was not spent on the pool. Existing buildings on the pool site are occupied by HANDS (Help a Neighbour in distress) and until September 2001 by the Riverside Play Group, when the latter moved to York House. Both groups pay rent for their accommodation. The Council has carried out other land sales/ leases since 1933, such as the present business car park in Water Lane. There is a history of gradual diminution of the original public open space. The present site, comprising the derelict pool, plus new play area is approximately 4272 sq metres in area.
The Years 1981 to 2007
The site remained unused and derelict with several attempts at commercial development by the Council. These proposals have been for:
1990 a Marks & Spencer Store resulting in a public Inquiry, which refused permission.
1999 A new scheme with Developer. Alsop Zogolovitch. in partnership with the Council. This was terminated by the Council due to public opposition.
2001/2002 The Council in partnership with the developer who owns King Street Parade and its car park in Water Lane, put forward a scheme for 47 luxury riverside flats above a ground floor for commercial use, comprising bars, restaurants, a basement with a fitness centre, Cinemas with basement car parking. This scheme opposed by all the local amenity societies was due to be the subject of a planning Inquiry. The Government Office of London requested an Environmental Impact Assessment in June 2002 this was not provided by the developers and the Council terminated their association with this developer in 2003.
All development proposals to date for land originally purchased for public walks and pleasure purposes, have been resisted by the public and local amenity societies, because of their size and the absence of community benefit.
2001 For 25 years The only successful planning application was granted to The Twickenham Riverside Terrace Group in 19/7/01 for the removal of the first floor of the existing pool changing rooms to form a terrace above a café, boat and other facilities on the ground floor. The remaining site was to be landscaped and the existing restaurant Caretakers House and public toilets brought back to use. This is attracting an ever growing petition of support now over 3000 signatures.
2004 After a Public Inquiry. Planning permission was granted for 5 years from 18/6/04 for a short term scheme providing a children's playground and café at the Western Wharf Lane end of site utilising approximately 25% of the site area.
2004 The Council announced The Twickenham Challenge. Inviting participation from local organisations to provide at no cost to the Council a public amenity on the pool site allowing a specified area of the site for a peppercorn rent.
2004 Unitary Development Plan (UDP) The Inspectors Report for the Twickenham Riverside Site (Proposal T1) states public open space should be the predominant feature of the Pool site, that this should be immutable irrespective of the time scale of any proposal.
2005 Playground and café opened, reported expenditure of £1.2 million.
2006 Challenge proposals result in 3 finalists. Council selects Richmond Environment Trust scheme for The Twickenham River Centre, an educational facility promoting river use and safety, located at the river end of Water Lane. The other 2 finalists, Busen Martial Arts Centre and Duke of Edinburgh Hostel are promised that the Council would actively seek alternative accommodation for them.
Alliance
The Amenity Societies comprising the Twickenham Society, Friends of Twickenham Green, the York House Society and TRTG have formed an alliance to help prevent another major development on this riverside site, to help promote the River Centre plan. TRTG want to keep the Popular Children's Playground in its present position and for the Council to honour the UDP Inspectors public open space recommendation.
2007 New Report by Council
The Council originally invited proposals for the site at no cost to the council. A proportion of the site was to be provided at a peppercorn.The Council chose a proposal which although it is community based, and river related was originally intended to have no cost to the Council. Now that the Environment Trust River Centre has been chosen, it needs support from the Council which did not appear to be part of the Council's original plan. The shell of the River centre building costing £1.6 million will now have to be funded by Richmond Council, by other commercial development on site. The Environment Trust need to raise lottery money for the fit out of £700,000, and will be competing with the 2012 Olympic Games for this. Therefore even further support may be needed from the council putting more pressure on them to force the sale and redevelopment of this public land - unless instead of the council giving them the money they structure it as a loan instead.
Space in the River Centre is now allocated to HANDS the community toilets and caretakers accommodation. The Council speaks of flexibility of use.
The Council have said they propose to move the playground to somewhere else in the vicinity - but actually there is nowhere else for it to go. None of the spaces talked about are practical and at what cost to move it?
The Council have appointed a 5 practice external expert team to consult with the community and report after 6 months work on the marketing of this site to a developer. With reports to Council in October 2007 at a cost originally given as £147,000. The final cost of this external expert team is not known. As a rudimentary consultation exercise the team should have someone located at the River site to collate the views of all the people who currently use that amenity. They would then find out that the public do not want this land built on - maybe this is why this elementary basic research has not been carried out.
At the same time based on the expert teams claimed environmental credentials, we would expect some helpful alternatives to the dead hand of demolish and build. Such as ways of raising income from a prime piece of Riverside land by the use of the land and its existing buildings for community purposes. Revenue can be raised by other methods than building. There is for instance an unresolved need for a ice rink site, and as Kew, Hampton Court and Somerset House have shown this is a feasible temporary option. Farmers Markets, Craft Markets, open air theatre, cinema. All of these options are subject to site enabling work but the cost is minimal in comparison to the proposals to date.
The toilets are already in position and connected to the drainage system.
The Buildings for community projects are already there.
The café exists as a permanent structure with room for expansion.
The open space is already there.
The playground exists and is in its best location.
The River Centre is being used as the excuse to build luxury homes on this site, TRTG says the alternatives should be properly explored before the community lose this asset.
The Twickenham Riverside Terrace Group September 2007
A printable version of this document in .pdf form is here.
10 April, 2007
An Exemplar Green Twickenham Riverside
Your claimed environmentally conscious Council appears to be blind to the fact that there is at present green usable public open space behind the hoarding surrounding the old Riverside Twickenham Swimming Pool site.
Your Council are spending £135,000.00 on a consultant property expert between now and September 07, and a sum of £45,000 a year for a new Council officer for the period 07-09. All in order to facilitate a developer to build bricks and mortar, flats, restaurants on this site.
Be aware that in the year 05-06 £470,000 was spent on reports and documents, for this site. There has been expenditure year on year since 1982. A grand total of at least £695,000 for the years 05 to 09 alone.
The Twickenham Riverside Terrace Group proposal is for the existing playground and café, to stay in use, and to open up to the public the open space at present barricaded from use.
TRTG says it is time to stop this extravagant expenditure on reports and documentation.
TRTG have costed their own open space plans and for £520,000 this land could be landscaped and returned to public use in a matter of months. This would benefit all ages of the community, satisfy the provision and importance of public open space in accordance with the UDP inquiry in 2004 and help give much needed credence to the green aspirations of the present Council.
The other excellent community educational and river orientated proposal The Environmental Trust of Richmond on Thames River Centre would have time to raise its own funds, and as a consequence not be subject to developer influence.
Ensure that the existing successful playground remains on its present location, and enable the enlargement of the present café so that it can serve hot meals.
Importantly it will ensure that community owned land remains for future generations to use.
The Council holds this land in trust for the community. Future generations will wish to know how such a usable public asset could lie derelict for over 27 years. The importance of conservation is apparently now your Council's priority, with this comes the responsibility of ensuring it is carried out. Community resources must be conserved in deed as well as word particularly where they are in a uniquely beautiful setting. The present popular playground, café and other landscape amenity were financed out of Council funds, your Council can improve on that step in the right direction.
If you care about the future of Twickenham Pool site and wish for permanent public use of the whole site, including public open space a children's play area, toilets and a café.
All this is achievable for less cost than the Council plans to spend on the paperwork that will enable a developer to build on this site.
Assist us in this aim by writing to the present Council. E mail your ward councillors or the leader cllr.slourie@richmond.gov.uk.
Time to tell your Council to stop wasting money on paper and use that money to create green public open space.
TRTG April 2007
20 March, 2007
Letter to our supporters, March 2007
We have recently reassessed the cost of reinstating the remaining pool site as public open space after deducting the areas allocated to the River Centre and the
Play area plus café. This is now an estimated cost of £514,719. At today's prices.
You will be interested to learn that the present Council have now voted for the expenditure of £137,500 for the next 6 months plus £45,000 per year for the pool
site. They have already spent £470,000 in 2005/06. An anticipated total sum of £697,500 for the years 2005/08.
The sums listed for 2007/09 will provide the Council with - believe it or not - more paper in the form of a development brief for the site. This will in due
course in co-operation with a developer result in enabling development to pay for the River Centre and the public open space. Enabling development will
inevitability take the form of luxury flats, housing, bars, shops, etc.
As you are aware there has been year on year similar expenditure since 1980 when the pool was closed. The only positive result, the temporary playground and café
are reported to have cost £1.2 million.The proposals for these are given below.
The principal result has been paper in the form of consultants' reports, documentation, feasibility proposals, etc.; many filing cabinets full.
Playground and Café
Your Council are now proposing to re-provide the (temporary) existing play facilities permanently within or close to the development site. The 'close to' would
allow exploration of sites to the East of the main site boundary.
The Alternative
TRTG are of the opinion that a River Centre, Playground, café, toilets and open space will occupy the majority of the present pool site. TRTG says it is time to
stop this expenditure nonsense of reports and documentation. For £520,000 the Council could landscape the remaining site and satisfy the provision and importance
of public open space in accordance with the recommendations of the UDP Inspector at the inquiry in 2004. Let the River Centre have time to raise its own funds as
originally envisaged and keep the existing successful playground on its present location, and enlarge the café so that it can serve hot meals.
The Council holds this land in trust for the community and therefore should provide for the community. The importance of conservation and the need to treasure
our community resources. This generation and future generations will wish to know how such a usable public asset could lie derelict for over 27 years. Remember
the present playground, café and other landscape amenity were financed out of Council funds.
If you care about the future of Twickenham Pool Site and wish for permanent public use of the whole site, including public open space, a children's play area,
toilets and a café, we ask you to assist us in this aim by writing to the present Council. E mail a/d p.Chadwick@richmond.gov.uk
By doing this you are helping to ensure that any plans for the site are fully and openly discussed. Remember that in 1924 a community-minded Council took the
decision to purchase this riverside area of Twickenham for public walks and pleasure purposes. It is our duty as residents to remind the Council of its
obligations to the community. This Pool Site is historically public open space. There are good reasons to hold such events as the Farmers' and French Markets on
this site. The present facilities comprising the existing playground and café with toilets, has planning permission only until June 2009. Therefore, unless the
residents of Twickenham make it clear to the Council that they wish otherwise, the present facilities will be cut and the play area removed to another site.
If you wish to support us and take part in our campaign please contact this web site.
The Committee - Twickenham Riverside Terrace Group 20 March 2007
24 January, 2007
Letter to our supporters, January 2007
Our petition to keep in permanent public use the whole of the Twickenham Pool Site, and to keep beyond 2009 the newly built playground café and toilets, has gained many new supporters. The total now exceeds 3000.
River Centre and Public Open Space. The present facilities are now joined by the Council's decision to go ahead with the River Centre, an activity and museum facility for all users and lovers of the River Thames. The Council's leader has expressed his support for this and the provision and importance of public open space in accordance with the recommendations of the UDP Inspector at the inquiry in 2005. The Council has repeatedly made it clear that this would be an important element of any scheme.
Development brief. We also understand that the development brief for the Twickenham Pool Site is now being prepared by the Council's Environment Department Officers and full public consultation has been promised by the Council's leader and your local MP. The local community groups including TRTG have met at the invitation of the Council and joined forces to cooperate and help steer the Council on this brief.
TRTG are of the opinion that a River Centre, playground, café, toilets and open space will occupy the majority of the present pool site. Previous schemes have had to rely on land not owned by the Council in order to provide a large enough plot for their grandiose proposals. It appears that recent political history may well have led to a more sensible attitude and the realisation that the Council holds the poolsite land in trust for the community and therefore must pay attention to what the community wants and implement this. There is also the changing attitude to conservation and the need to treasure our community resources. Future generations will wish to know how such a usable public asset could lie derelict for over 26 years. Remember the present playground, café and other landscape amenity were financed out of Council funds.
If you care about the future of Twickenham Pool site and wish for permanent public use of the whole site, including public open space, a children's play area, toilets and a café we ask you to assist us in this aim by writing to the present Council at p.Chadwick@richmond.gov.uk .
By doing this you are helping to ensure that any plans for the site are fully and openly discussed. Remember that in 1924 a community minded Council took the decision to purchase this riverside area of Twickenham for public walks and pleasure purposes. It is our duty as residents to keep this pool site public open space use inviolate. There are good reasons to hold such events as the Farmers' and French Markets on this site. We have new ideas and proposals and are willing to discuss these with the Council.
It is important to remember that the present facilities, comprising the existing playground and café with toilets, has planning permission only until June 2009. Therefore, unless the Council takes action and residents of Twickenham make it clear to the Council that they wish otherwise, the present facilities could be removed for ever.
If you wish to support us and take part in our campaign please contact this web site.
The Committee - Twickenham Riverside Terrace Group 24 January 2007.
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