Twickenham Riverside Consultation Dates (Twickenham & Richmond Liberal Democrats)

Twickenham Riverside Consultation Dates

February 16, 2009 10:54 AM

• THE public consultation on the three developers' projected schemes for the Twickenham Riverside will run from 9 - 27 March.

 There will be a public display at the Civic Centre, 44 York Street, with boards illustrating each set of plans from the developers, from 9-15 March. The public will be invited to make comments via a questionnaire; the closing date for responses will be March 27. The three developers are Countryside Properties, Quad Group/Ellmer Construction and Trevor Osborne Property Group. In addition to the developers' displays, there will be a display on the River Centre: the projected building, its uses, and the work that's already under way with local schools, groups and the community, to spread awareness and knowledge of the Thames and the area in which we live.

Asking borough residents to come to the exhibition council Leader Serge Lourie said:

"We are now in the final stages of a saga that has lasted far too long - this site has been derelict for over 28 years and is a real blot on the local landscape. The exhibition will display three properly worked up options for its development and we want the public to help us decide which of these is the best.

"I am aware that some people may not like any of the plans on display but believe the majority of residents and businesses - not just in Twickenham but across the borough - want to see us get on with a sensible development that will provide value for money and help revitalise Twickenham.

"I therefore urge as many local people, borough residents and businesses to come along between the 9th and the 15th, where they can consider the options, ask questions and most importantly give us their views. I am very clear that the time for talking about this site is over and the time for positive action has arrived. But we will only make the final decision once we have considered the views of those who respond to the consultation."

The exhibition will be held on the ground floor of the Civic Centre, Twickenham from Monday 9 March to Sunday 15 March (inclusive). Hours of opening will be: 2 pm until 8 pm on Monday to Friday ; 10 am until 4 pm on Saturday 14 March; and 11 am until 3p m on Sunday 15 March'. The final decision on the choice of scheme/developer will be taken at the Cabinet meeting of 27 April.

• [Feb 24]: STATEMENT by the Environment Trust: 'We congratulate Richmond Adult and Community College (RACC) on having obtained outline planning permission for the major redevelopment of its Clifden site.  

Last August, the RACC approached the Trust and proposed a partnership to deliver environmental education in the Borough . . Recently, RACC informed the Trust that it has scaled down its ambitions in this sector and, due to the proposed development at its Clifden site, no longer wished to use the River Centre building. RACC will however continue to work with the Trust to deliver environmental education programmes.   This development does not impact on the viability of the River Centre but it does provide capacity in the two classrooms proposed for the River Centre for other activities. The work with the RACC over the last 6 months has helped to confirm the considerable demand across the education sector for links with the broader environmental community. The River Centre, with its wide network of environmental and community partners, will be ideally placed to help meet this demand.   

The Trust is already in discussions with a number of other education providers and plans to start delivering environmental education programmes with the RACC and other partners later this year. These programmes will ramp up over the next two years so that a lively and interesting programme of environmental education will be available, with opportunities for all ages and abilities, when the River Centre opens in 2011.'

Richmond upon Thames Liberal Democrats: