Blind Eye to Elephant on Twickenham Riverside (Twickenham & Richmond Liberal Democrats)

Blind Eye to Elephant on Twickenham Riverside

June 1, 2010 10:34 AM

• [Jun 01] Martin Elengorn* writes: THE new Tory Cabinet will on 7th June be considering going back to square one on Twickenham Riverside, some 30 years after the closure of Twickenham Pool started this apparently unbreakable cycle of repeated failure. If the River Centre scheme is abandoned several more years of delay seems inevitable.

Yet the paper going to Cabinet makes scant reference to the planning situation to which any new scheme must conform - truly the elephant on the riverside. The approved planning proposal for the site, approved in 2005 by the Tories themselves, is proposal T1 in the 2005 UDP. In summary this is to include:

"Cafes and possible retail, enhancement of riverside, housing, leisure use including public open space, possible temporary uses including public open space, toilets available for public use"

The Tories have never explained why in opposition they chose to go back on the policy guidelines they themselves set for the site. The legal position remains that any scheme requiring planning permission has to be consistent with T1, unless and until T1 is replaced by another formally adopted site policy. On the present timetable any such change is not timetabled as part of the Local Development Framework process to come into effect before 2012.

The Tories themselves decided in 2005 that any development of the old Twickenham Pool site should include housing and this remains the adopted planning policy of the Council. A scheme consistent with this adopted policy was on offer but the Tories are set to abandon it, leading to another protracted delay and no certainty of a better viable scheme coming along. The paper going to cabinet offers no clue as to how both in terms of the planning process and financially a different sort of scheme can be achieved. On the face of it this looks like a colossal failure of leadership by the Tories.

Opposition spokesperson on Environment and Planning

__________________________________________________________________________________________

The relevant extract from the Unitary Development Plan - adopted 1 March 2005:

'Chapter 12 . . 2.54: The proposals for Twickenham are:

No. T1*

Site: Twickenham Riverside & 1-33 King Street.

Proposal: Enhancement of riverside, leisure use including public open space, housing, cafes and possible retail, toilets available for public use possible temporary uses including public open space.

Justification: The site is of importance to the future of Twickenham and any scheme should be compatible with the improvement of the wider area including the King Street frontage. Development should enhance the conservation area and Thames Policy Area by maintaining the scale and character of this part of the riverside, taking account of the vehicular and other access needs of river users, local residents and businesses and making a significant contribution to achieving the strategic policies of the Thames Landscape Strategy. An objective should be to promote the use and enjoyment of the river and riverside through uses such as public open space, cafés and restaurants.

It is envisaged that public open space would form an important element of the scheme. Housing provision should include a substantial element of small units and affordable housing. The service road to the rear of King Street should continue to be the primary vehicular access to the site and should continue to service premises in King Street. If practicable, the opportunity should be taken to make limited improvements to servicing these premises. Important trees should be retained. In the short term, pending a suitable and viable scheme, a mix of temporary uses, including public open spaces could be acceptable.

Implementation: Private / Council.

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Richmond upon Thames Liberal Democrats: