Riverside: Comments and other news from 2010 - 2006
2010 news:
- [From Comments Spring 2010] New school places for Twickenham: The Lib Dems want new school places to be built in Twickenham as a priority. Part of the St John's former hospital site in Strafford Road could be used for new school classrooms. This is part of the Council's £32 m programme to expand primary school places. Terms have been agreed to purchase the land from the South West London & St George's Mental Health Trust, provided that planningpermission can be obtained for a school.
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Cllr Denise Carr welcomed the news, adding "The Council has expanded Orleans Infants school and must plan ahead for the increasing demand for places in our excellent primary provision. This site in the centre of Twickenham is ideally located to meet the needs of many parents, but the interests of residents living in the vicinity of the site must also be taken into account. Ward councillors will be ensuring that pre-planning consultation is undertaken on the design proposals, including re-use of the existing buildings and transport matters". |
- SUPPORT Growing For Riverside Renewal: A recent survey shows people are in favour of the Council scheme to redevelop the old baths site on Twickenham Riverside. For nearly 30 years most of the site has been derelict and inaccessible. The Council scheme includes a River Centre with café/restaurant overlooking a new children's playground, toilets, education space, exhibitions, events and activities for all ages; green open space; and refurbishment of the Embankment. Cllr Michael Wilson welcomed the support "With 3 to 1 responses in favour, we know that most residents support our plans".
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- TWICKENHAM Station: Liberal Democrat councillors want to see big improvements to Twickenham station in time for the 2015 Rugby World Cup. Network Rail and Kier Property have joined forces to create Solum Regeneration, a partnership to oversee the development. Cllr David Trigg says "Twickenham deserves a modern mainline station which is welcoming and fully accessible, and can cope with the increasing demand from commuters, RFU event crowds, Richmond College students and people who live or work in Twickenham and want to use good quality public transport. The investment planned could also deliver huge benefits for the town, but ward councillors will expect the design and scale of the residential/ commercial mix under consideration to enhance this key gateway to the town centre and we have insisted on full pre-planningconsultation with residents and businesses to ensure that we get the best development possible".
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- LIB Dems help to cut crime: Richmond upon Thames is the safest borough in London and has been since 2007. Reported crimes are below 1,000 a month and with active Safer Neighbourhood Teams in every ward, policing is intelligence-led and responsive to local needs and conditions. Keeping our streets safe Cllr Michael Wilson said, "In Twickenham, we have a thriving Police Liaison Group which meets regularly and demonstrates the support thepolice have in keeping our streets safe, preventing and defusing situations, and working in partnership with local residents and businesses. If you would like more information and would like to attend then please drop us a line and we can let you know when the next meeting is being held". The policing priorities in Twickenham are - Robbery, Burglary, and Anti-social behaviour in the town centre. Please contact Cllr Michael Wilson to put an item on the agenda of a future meeting.
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- POTHOLES: The Council has earmarked extra funds to repair potholes after the bad winter weather. Cllr David Trigg said, "We have secured a budget to resurface King Street and also part of Queen's Road which are in need of repair and upgrading. These are heavily used borough roads and this will be another measure to help enhance Twickenham for residents, businesses and visitors alike. We are looking to put this in place imminently". If you know of potholes that need filling please report them to the Council on 08456 122 660 or viahttp://www.richmond.gov.uk/potholes
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- [Mar 05]: CHURCH Street in Twickenham is now fully open to traffic again, after it was partially closed for several weeks following a burst 36 in water main which damaged the road. The water main has now been repaired by Thames Water, which was responsible for it. Richmond Council will continue to make sure the company repairs the road to an acceptable standard. A section of it had sunk and some of the concrete and sand between the cobbles had been washed away making them loose and potentially dangerous to drive over.
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Cllr David Trigg, Richmond Council's Cabinet Member for Traffic, Transport and Parking, said: "Getting this road open again is something we wanted to have done as quickly as possible, so traders were not unduly affected. Church Street is the 'shop window' for local business in Twickenham and I'm glad to see it has now been done and shops can again take the maximum benefit from passing trade. I know this was an unexpected incident, caused by the extreme weather earlier this year, but hopefully the repairs Thames Water has carried out will mean the pipes will be able to withstand any further bouts of freezing temperatures in the future." |
In order to minimise disruption in the area, a sewer which was also due for repair has been upgraded at the same time, meaning there will now be no need to close the road again in the future to do this. The water main which cracked carried water from the Hampton pumping station to Barnes reservoir |
- COMMUNITY toilet scheme: One of the popular initiatives started by the Liberal Democrats on Richmond Council has been the Community Toilet Scheme. 90 toilets in pubs, cafés, and offices around the borough are now open to the public. The Council pays the venue £600 a year to allow unrestricted access to the toilets. This is very much cheaper, and offers many more toilets, than the traditional public toilets, which are very expensive to maintain. Just look for the Community Toilet sign outside.
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2009 News:
• Twickenham embankment officially opened [11th Dec]
• [From Comments Winter 2009-10] River Centre: The Lib Dem Council will put a plan to renew and regenerate TWICKENHAM RIVERSIDE to the people next year. The plan includes the riverside opened up, improved public space, a community River Centre with cafe and public toilets operated by the Environment Trust and supported by Sir David Attenborough, improved street furniture and an improved and permanent playground. The Environment Trust is taking advantage of the delay in signing the development contract for the riverside site to focus on the education and leisure opportunities the new River Centre could provide and to seek residents' views and preferences.
Cllr Denise Carr said, "We want the River Centre to be a buzzing hub of activity, with a cafe/restaurant overlooking the new children's playground and the river, an aquarium, exhibitions on river ecology, and leaning activities ranging from sustainability forums for adults, rowing, fishing and boat-building qualifications for youngsters". To contribute your views, please visit http://www.RiverCentre.org.uk
Cllr Denise Carr said, "This is a fantastic scheme which will see the site transformed into a thriving, accessible space after nearly 30 years of waste. Pressures on Council finances mean that the plans must be self-financing, and this will be achieved through a small amount of housing at the rear and on Wharf Lane, which will have the added benefit of building in security to a site that has been plagued by petty crime and anti-social behaviour. A win-win for local residents, businesses and Council Tax payers".
Cllr David Trigg said, "There are a number of myths and lies being circulated about our scheme, but we believe this is the best opportunity we've had in a generation to improve the site and bring regeneration to the town centre". Cllr Michael Wilson added, "The Council will not sign the plan until after the local elections. This will give people a full and democratic say over the council scheme. The improvements seen at the other end of the embankment are only the first step to a complete renewal".
• The TWICKENHAM EMBANKMENT works are now complete, with an avenue of beautiful pin oaks, hard and soft landscaping, new benches and bins with tops and curtains to deter the birds! The railings and lamp posts have been painted and an Eel Pie Legends board highlights the musical history of the island. Funded by Arcadia in the City, the Council and local residents, this part of the Embankment is now a real pleasure to sit and chill out in.
• WE have been working with the local POLICE team to tackle town centre disturbances and anti-social behaviour hot spots. Cllr Denise Carr said, "Our Twickenham Riverside ward Police Safer Neighbourhood Team, led by Sergeant Tony Lovegrove and PC Phil Ure, ask local residents to be particularly careful in the run-up to Christmas to prevent the opportunistic theft of Christmas presents". At a recent meeting of the ward Police Liaison Group, residents were asked not to leave these valuable items on display in cars or in front rooms which might attract attention from passers by.
Cllr David Trigg said, "The Team will also be patrolling the town centre and keeping a close eye on the pubs and clubs as alcohol-related crime and anti-social behaviour remains one of the 3 priorities which local residents want the police to address. The other priorities are tackling burglaries and preventing robbery and personal safety".
Cllr Michael Wilson added "Your ward councillors work closely with the police and are delighted that the team who know our patch so well will be on duty on New Year's Eve to ensure that all of us have a happy and safe time as 2010 dawns - contact them on 07768-178989". The date of the next Police Liaison Group meeting on Wednesday 3 March, 7 pm in York House.
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• LOCAL police officer Rupinder Dusanjh and Council Area Champion Carol Lee joined Cllrs Denise Carr and David Trigg to walk the ward. This is to identify issues for improvement from graffiti to pavements, trees to chewing gum, parking to lighting and much more. This is part of the regular ward walks we do to ensure that environmental issues are picked up and addressed as quickly as possible.
• FLAT recycling: Cllr Michael Wilson wants to hear from residents in flats about how we can help them to improve their recycling. Cllr Michael Wilson said, "Although we've rolled out an improved recycling scheme for residents in houses, a lot of residents in our area including myself live in flats. I would like to hear from those people who would like to see an improvement in recycling facilities available to people who live in flats".
• YORK House - following repair and repainting of the frontage last year, a specification for the rear of the house is being finalised and works should be completed by Spring 2010. In addition, York House Gardens won Green Flag status again this year (one of 7 in the borough) and there is an active management plan to continue to improve these beautiful gardens.
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• TWICKENHAM Town Centre - the effects of the recession are plain to see in the empty shop units and bars in the town centre. We are monitoring this and working with landlords on temporary uses; have introduced free bank holiday parking; have improved the area at the junction of Arragon Road/Amyand Park Road; and are developing a Marketing Pack to attract quality businesses.
• WARREN Footpath - new, bat and human friendly lighting has been installed along this scenic towpath as part of the Arcadia in the City works. The lights give a more even light distribution for pedestrians and cyclists, reduce light pollution and save money as they use 40% less energy and can be dimmed down at night.
• The Lib Dem Council has restored RICHMOND BRIDGE at a cost of £360,000. Cllrs Carr, Trigg and Wilson recently visited to see the work being completed. Cllr Michael Wilson said, "This is an important bridge, both in terms of access and history, and this investment was need to repair and improve the bridge stonework".
• RICHMONDCARDS are free till January 2010 - for cheaper parking and no need to fiddle around looking for change, residents and businesses should apply now for the new RichmondCard. Discounts of up to 60 % are available for low CO2 emitting vehicles at all street parking meters.
• Free flood warnings for residents at risk in Teddington & Twickenham: Cllr Denise Carr commented: "Flooding is a very real concern for many residents in Twickenham Riverside ward, so the free flood warning test or e-mail messages will be very helpful."
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• [From Comments Summer 2009]: LOCAL green groups back riverside plan Riverside plans set to renew derelict site and provide economic boost for town centre: The Lib Dems have been working in partnership with the Environment Trust, local residents and community groups on the future of Twickenham Riverside. The Council have now selected the scheme submitted by Countryside Properties and Eel Pie Island architect Clive Chapman. There will be a River Centre, with a boathouse, café, public toilets, and community facilities offering a range of education and opportunities for all ages.
There will be a children's playground, river-themed and overlooked by the café. For the first time in nearly 30 years, there will be quality, public open space, including a swath of green running up and over the River Centre and offering spectacular views of the river and the busy working riverside at the heart of the town. And there will be dedicated space for craft markets and other community events, created by the removal of some of the car parking on the riverfront to the rear of the site.
Cllr Denise Carr says "Priority has been given to pedestrian use and quality landscaping, with no loss of parking; public open space is maximised; and the stunning River Centre will be an exemplar of sustainable development. A mix of houses and flats at the rear and the Wharf Lane end of the site will build-in safety and deliver over £4m of public gain, including the shell of the River Centre, the public open space and playground, and improvements to the Embankment and river front, at no additional cost to the Council taxpayer.
Cllr David Trigg adds "The Twickenham Society has given its support and the Twickenham Town Centre Management Board sees the redevelopment of this site as the key regeneration opportunity in the town centre which will bring much benefit to businesses and residents. Cllr Michael Wilson adds "Sir David Attenborough is an enthusiastic supporter of the River Centre. A free, fun and informative community building which is a beacon of sustainability will bring so many benefits to the town and its residents and will help everyone to understand and enjoy the river."
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• WARREN Footpath consultation: Local residents have responded positively to plans for new lighting on the Warren Footpath (the river tow path by Marble Hill Park). All the existing columns will be removed and new columns with LED lighting will be placed at regular intervals along the path. Cllr Carr says "These lights will be turned off at less busy times of the night, but the intelligent lighting technology will respond to human movement and switch on if needed while ignoring wind blown branches or wildlife movement . The path will be safer for pedestrians and cyclists alike." Cllr Wilson added "This lighting will save energy and is funded as part of the Arcadia in the City scheme which has benefited so many parts of the borough a win-win all round."
• AS well continuing to roll out the Council's CO2 emission based parking to on street car parking and car parks the Council has also introduced over 70 new car club bays across the borough. Cllr Denise Carr added, "The 4 new bays in our area and 6 more across Twickenham from City Car Club will increase the number of street car bays to 14 across our area including St Margaret's and Twickenham." The new bays are located on Strafford Road, Cambridge Road, Sion Road and Arlington Road. There are a further 5 in St Margaret's and one more in Twickenham. Car Club Contacts: http://www.citycarclub.co.uk/ http://www.streetcar.co.uk/ http://zipcar.co.uk/
• The Liberal Democrats have been working hard to improve the local environment across Twickenham. The areas upgraded include an area by Twickenham Riverside known as Champions Wharf, an area by St Mary's Primary School on Arragon Road and new facilities in Cambridge Gardens. Cllr Denise Carr said, "These new enhancements show just how much of a priority improving our local environment is for the Liberal Democrats". The features include new plants and shrubbery, more trees, better paving, additional cycle stands and new equipment like the Fit Point in Cambridge Gardens. Cllr Michael Wilson added, "We are always looking for ways to improve our local area and we will continue to push for extra funding to do so. The environment is a top priority for us."
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• CAMBRIDGE Gardens: The demolition of the derelict toilet block in Cambridge Gardens is scheduled to begin on Monday 8th June. The work is set to be completed on Friday 3rd July. Cllr Denise Carr said, "Once the block has been demolished the site will be landscaped to make the area even nicer".
• Councillor Allowances: The Lib Dems have frozen councillors' allowances this year. At this difficult economic time, we do not think allowances should increase.
• [Feb 16]: Twickenham Riverside Consultation Dates
• [Jan 06]: Council consults on extra school places at Chase Bridge Primary school [Whitton], Orleans Infant and St Stephen's schools [St Margaret's, Twickenham], and St Mary's & St Peter's and Stanley schools [Teddington]; closing date: Feb 02.
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2008 & previous years:
- [From COMMENTS Summer 2008]: LIB Dems renewing the riverside for local people: Over the last year, the Council has been in consultation with local residents, community groups and businesses on plans to regenerate the Twickenham riverside site which has been derelict for so long. With the Environment Trust's exciting River Centre at the heart of these plans, we have been looking in detail at open space, community use, traffic, parking, flooding and the Embankment itself - and the type of residential/commercial development required to fund the scheme at no cost to council tax payers. In April, the Council agreed a Development Brief for the site. This includes a preferred option for the layout including the scale and location of the River Centre, the enabling residential development (19 % of the site), high quality, sustainable build and landscaping, and improved traffic and parking - which includes removing the bulk of the current Embankment parking to the rear of the site. Improving and repairing the Embankment In addition, a £1m Embankment project, covering the riverfront from Wharf Lane to Champions Wharf, will be progressed to ensure integrated improvement of the whole frontage.
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Cllr Denise Carr said, "A small number of houses and flats (3 storey houses on the rear service road and 3 or 4 storey flats on Wharf Lane) is expected to raise £4m. This will be used to fund the shell of the River Centre (£2.5m) and the other infrastructure/open space improvements (£1.5m) to the site. The enabling development will take up about 19% of the site, and we are committed to maximising the amount of open space and to re-providing the playground". The Environment Trust is responsible for funding the fitting out of the River Centre. The Council and the Environment Trust are working hard to make sure the plans for the overall project and the River Centre are financially sound. The Council is determined to renew this site but at no cost to the taxpayer. |
Cllr David Trigg added, ""The next step is to find the right potential developers. We must make sure that they understand residents' concerns that the size and scale of the enabling residential development be kept to the minimum and that the highest standards of quality and sustainability are built into any scheme. Applications have been invited with a view to selecting the best developers to be invited to submit site plans. These will then be presented for full public consultation next Spring." Although the Conservatives began the Twickenham Challenge which eventually led to the Liberal Democrats selecting the River Centre for the site, they are now trying to wreck these plans. |
Cllr Michael Wilson added, "The Conservatives have announced a unfunded and uncosted plan which demotes the River Centre to a 'boathouse'. They have also attacked the hard work by local volunteers of the Environment Trust to score political points. This is particularly hypocritical given that they were going to sell off land as part the Twickenham Challenge process. We will continue to work with local people, amenity groups and the Environment Trust to finally renew this site". How the riverside will be divided up: 25 % new open space; 34 % improved open space (including improved roadway); 9 % river centre footprint; 19 % residential footprint, including private garden areas; and 13 % for the new service road & car parking to the rear of the site.
- NEW crossing at St Stephen's: A new pedestrian refuge on Richmond Road by St Stephen's Church has just been completed in an attempt to make crossing the road safer. The refuge, which has involved slight changes to the position of the bus stops, will make it safer for people crossing the road at this point. Cllr David Trigg said, "A lot of people cross at this point to get to the Church or the Crossway Hall and with bends at either side on this road it is always very dangerous, especially for the elderly or those people with children". Cllr Denise Carr added, "This pedestrian refuge will give people the chance to cross safely. It may also help to slow traffic down at this corner. We have worked with local residents to slightly re-position the bus stops as well as adding some double yellow lines to reduce unsafe parking near the refuge and bus stops.
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- CAMBRIDGE Parade Post Office Closed - despite protests Post Office Ltd has closed the Cambridge Park Post Office branch, ignoring protests from residents, your councillors and local MP Vincent Cable. Cllr Michael Wilson said: "Post Office Ltd shamefully ignored all our protests and clearly had no intention of listening to local people." Your councillors are now looking at ways the Council can support the remaining branches across the borough, to prevent any further closures. Cllr David Trigg added, "From April next year you will be able to pay your council tax and most other council bills at any local post office branch". Twice the Conservatives failed to support motions at Council condemning these closures. The Lib Dems were disappointed not to have cross-party support on this issue.
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- GOING, Going, Gone! The derelict toilet block in Cambridge Gardens is going to be demolished and the green space will be protected by a new 'Friends of Cambridge Gardens' group. Despite attempts by a local cafe owner to use the block and some of the land for a new cafe, many local residents felt the plans were inappropriate. They worked with local Councillors to get the toilet block pulled down for good. Cllr Denise Carr said, "I am delighted that this derelict building which has become such an eyesore is to be pulled down. A new Friends group for these beautiful, riverside gardens will help to build on the improvements made to the pathways and planting under the Arcadia in the City scheme and with the help of local volunteers. They will be supported by the Richmond Environment Network which promotes environmental activity, bio- diversity and sustainability in the borough." For more information, contact Colin Cooper at REN: 8831-6142 or www.richenvironmentnet.org.uk
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- PROBLEMS with pubs, clubs or other anti- social behaviour? The best thing local residents can do if they are experiencing anti- social behaviour is to report it to your local Safer Neighbourhood Police Team. Details for the police team are below. The weekend noise service offered by the council which operates on Friday and Saturday 10 pm - 3 am can be reached on 07944 038495. Cllr Michael Wilson said, "If residents experience repeated problems the best things to do are to report it and keep a record of it in a diary form." Your Lib Dem councillors are committed to tackling all forms of anti-social behaviour in our area. Please remember in the event of an emergency to always dial 999.
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- TWICKENHAM Town Centre Manager: Esther Worboys has left her position as the TCM. We are now looking to recruit for her position. This post, which in part looks after all of the festivals and other community events and the general economic well being of the town centre. Could you be the new Twickenham Town Centre Manager? For more information about the work of the Town Centre Management Board and the role of the Manager, see www.twickenhamtown.co.uk or contact Cllr Denise Carr for a chat. Many thanks must go to Esther and the Town Centre Management board for all their hard work over the years.
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- COMMUNITY TV comes to Twickenham - have you seen it yet?: 10 plasma screens have been installed at locations across the borough, including the Civic Centre and Twickenham and Richmond Stations. They broadcast sound-free community messages from the Council, the police, the PCT (Primary Care Trust) and local community groups. Important information on crime reduction, community action, local emergencies, weather and much more for residents and visitors. Let us know what you think.
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- GREEN Flag award for York House Gardens: The Council has been awarded 4 prestigious Green Flags by The Civic Trust this year, including one for the public gardens at the rear of the York House Council offices. Green flags recognise the best green spaces in the country - which are welcoming, well- maintained, safe and encourage community involvement. Visit these magical gardens soon while the sun is still shining.
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- NEW Pelican Crossing outside York House Cllr David Trigg says "In response to complaints from residents about safety, the Council has replaced the dog-leg/bus gate crossing with a new pelican crossing and improved the paving in front of the York House gates. Pedestrian safety is a priority along the busy Richmond Rd and we are committed to improving provision wherever possible."
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- THE next Area Consultation Meeting will take place in The Salon at York House on 14th October 2008 at 7.30pm. Members of the public are invited to come and meet your local councillors and raise any issue of concern.
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Twickenham Riverside Regeneration [January 2008 latest]:
- . . THE Development Brief Consultants are now preparing a preferred option for the site that will form the basis of a public exhibition in the New Year. It will reflect the views, issues and concerns expressed at the workshops and will seek to balance the wide range of often strongly held opinions that there are for this site. The intention is to take the Development Brief to the Council's Cabinet for approval in February or March 2008. The approved Development Brief will form the backbone of a set of tender documents that will be put to the development market seeking a development partner for the preferred scheme . . in the summer of 2008. For enquiries about the Twickenham Riverside Regeneration please contact: twickenhamriverside@richmond.gov.uk ; tel: 020 8891 7922. Full details on the Council website at: http://tinyurl.com/35ocbc
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2007 & previous years:
| From COMMENTS winter 2007/8: A flag ship eco-friendly River Centre, offering river- related and environmental education and leisure opportunities for all ages and abilities, will be part of new development plans for the old baths site. The Twickenham River Centre will be run by the Environment Trust (ET) and will include a café, toilets, boat hire and much more. In July 2007 the Council started a consultation exercise with local residents, businesses and community groups with a view to producing a new Development Brief for the whole site which will have the River Centre at the heart of the development, opening up the site for a range of leisure activities for young and old. As well as maximising public open space and improving the embankment, the Council is keen to promote the highest environmental standards and for the development to contribute to the economic vitality of the town centre. Once a Development Brief has been agreed, the Council intends to work in partnership with a developer to achieve a scheme that will deliver the agreed community benefits with the minimum enabling development - whether residential or restaurant/café - necessary to ensure a financially viable scheme. |
- ANOTHER Green Promise Met: Richmond Borough went even greener from November with the introduction of doorstep cardboard and plastic bottle recycling. The new scheme means that all plastic bottles including milk cartons and even bottles that contained household cleaning products can be recycled. There were a few inevitable teething problems, some missed collections and the need to hire extra collection vehicles, when the scheme was introduced. However by the end of the November recycling rates had topped 40% and many more households had started recycling for the first time. For Twickenham Riverside ward, collection day is Wednesday except for a few properties on the border with South Twickenham ward which are collected on Friday. Your recycling and waste will be collected by different vehicles at different times of the day. If you live in a block of flats please contact the team about how you can participate. If you think your recycling has been missed please report it at www.richmond.gov.uk/waste_and_ recycling online or by phoning 08456 122 660 after 3pm on the day of your collection. "Recycling cardboard and plastic bottles is vitally important if we are to protect the environment. Central Government is increasing charges on landfill waste so it also makes financial sense to reduce landfill waste." said Cllr Michael Wilson " It is frustrating that there have been some teething problems with the implementation of this scheme . I am grateful for residents' patience and hopefully these problems have now been ironed out." said Cllr Denise Carr.
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- SAFE Crossing Point for St Stephen's Church: The Council has been consulting local residents and those who use St Stephen's Church and Crossway Hall on plans for a refuge to make crossing the road safer on this difficult turn. To ensure traffic safety, the proposal necessitates changes to the bus stops and some loss of parking, but the response has been largely positive. The proposal will now go to a public meeting of the Transport Consultative Group prior to a decision being made. Cllr Michael Wilson, who recently got married at this church, says: "I am delighted that the growing number of people who need to cross safely at this location will have a refuge. Children and adults with mobility problems will
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- CCTV for York Street: Residents who battled for CCTV in York Street to help prevent and detect late night, alcohol induced anti-social behaviour have been successful. This area, a hotspot for incidents on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights, will have a camera installed. Cllr Denise Carr welcomed this investment: "CCTV can be very effective in making our town centre safer. Some 27% of British teenagers now admit to getting drunk regularly, and binge drinking admissions to local hospitals are increasing - strong policing and enforcing licensing conditions will help local residents and may encourage binge drinkers to think again."
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- SERVICES for Children & Families in Richmond upon Thames are "outstanding" according to Government inspectors. The highest Grade 4 has been achieved in Ofsted's annual performance assessment, with provision for looked-after children and those with disabilities highly praised. And in the same week, CSCI (Commission for Social Care Inspection) awarded the highest 3 star rating to Adult Social Services for the first time, highlighting the successful partnership working with health, the voluntary sector and individual users and carers, and the excellent prospects for further improvement.
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- PROTECTING Twickenham's Historic Waterfront: Twickenham's historic working waterfront is constantly at risk from the loss of working boatyards, lack of mooring facilities and damage to the embankment walls. Thanks to pressure from local residents, community groups and the Richmond Environment Trust, a survey of the embankment walls was carried out at the drawdown in November 2006 and an action plan has been developed. Now, the whole of the waterfront needs to be looked at as part of the plans for the old baths site and the embankment up to the Barmy Arms. Your local Councillors are very supportive of this approach and will be working with residents to develop a strategic plan covering the whole area.
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- June 2007: RIVERSIDE regeneration a step closer: Plans to regenerate Twickenham's riverside continue to move ahead - the latest step being the selection of consultants to draw up a development brief for the site.
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A panel chaired by the Council Leader and including a representative from the Environment Trust for Richmond upon Thames www.environmenttrust.co.uk/, who will operate the proposed River Centre on part of the site, have recommended the appointment of urban design experts, Urban Practitioners www.urbanpractitioners.co.uk/, for the task. Once their appointment is confirmed, they will hold a series of consultations with local residents and local interest groups over the coming months. These sessions will feed into their work on the brief and will include presentations, workshops and exhibitions. The final brief, which will spell out the type of development envisaged for the derelict riverside site, is expected to be completed by December. It will then be used for an exercise, to be held in early 2008, to seek a developer partner. |
Council Leader, Cllr Serge Lourie, said this week: "We want to ensure the greatest opportunity for a viable, sustainable scheme for the site. We were very impressed by the Urban Practitioners team, in particular their approach to tackling the range of complex issues that we face at the Twickenham Riverside site. We are confident that they are the right consultants to help us ensure a high quality development sensitive to the riverside and town centre location that is highly sustainable and incorporates an outstanding community resource that will be the River Centre. We are determined to work closely with the local community and ward councillors to ensure that the scheme is widely welcomed by local people." |
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2006 news:
- FROM COMMENTS Winter 2006/7: A flag ship eco-friendly RIVER CENTRE, offering river-related and environmental education and leisure opportunities for all ages and abilities, will be part of new development plans for the old baths site. The Twickenham River Centre will be run by the Environment Trust (ET) and will include a café, toilets, boat hire and much more. The next stage will be the production of a new Development Brief for the whole site, based on the planning requirements of a mixed use development, including public open space, homes and restaurants. Cllr Denise Carr says "I congratulate the Trust on their wonderful proposal. I look forward to working in partnership with them and with the many local residents who care passionately about this site and want to see it brought back to life. The Council is committed to environmental sustainability and we will be bringing forward proposals which demonstrate how buildings and the street scene can contribute to this." • COMMUNITY groups, residents and businesses have welcomed the Council's decision to reverse the previous Tory administration's plans to scrap the Town Centre Manager. And at a packed meeting in York House in October, residents called for the Town Centre Management Plan to be updated and public involvement improved. Cllr David Trigg says "The Manager's post was set up by the Liberal Democrats 1997 in order to help revitalise the town and attract more shoppers and visitors. Successful initiatives like the Twickenham festival, Christmas lights, the weekly Farmers Market, summer al fresco dining in Church Street and much more have been developed - but the town centre faces new challenges, with an ever growing late night economy, too many empty shop units and few other leisure opportunities." Cllr Carr added "the turnout and enthusiasm at the meeting was fantastic. The ward councillors will now be working with the Manager, businesses and the community to agree new targets and deliver improvements."
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- THE RIVERSIDE towpath from Richmond Bridge to Orleans Gardens is beautiful and popular with residents and visitors. Under the Arcadia in the City scheme, plans are afoot to prune and thin overgrown, dead and dangerous trees and shrubs along the path and these are welcomed by Cllr Michael Wilson who added "active management is part of maintaining a safe and pleasant environment which promotes bio-diversity and opens up the beautiful views along the river. I shall also be pressing for improvements to benches, lighting and the footpath itself so that people can enjoy walking and resting along the path."
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- FOLLOWING a campaign by Twickenham Town Centre Manager Esther Worboys and your ward councillors to improve public transport for late night revellers, the 281 night service started running 6 months ago - and now it is so popular you can hardly get a seat. Cllr Trigg says "helping people disburse quickly when the pubs and clubs close means less chance of crime, noise and nuisance. This has been a great success and we need more late night bus services to take people safely home."
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- CONCERNS about late night, alcohol induced anti-social behaviour in York Street have led to residents calling for better policing and CCTV cameras. Cllr Trigg says "Police figures show that the area is a borough hotspot for crime on a Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights. CCTV can help both prevent and detect criminality and I have asked the Council to look at this."
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- A MEETING of the Regulatory Committee on 6 February agreed revised arrangements for this popular summer dining experience. The season will run from 24 May to the 9 September, Thursday - Sunday, with the street closed until 10pm on Thursdays, 11pm on Fridays, 11.30pm on Saturdays and 10pm on Sundays. Cllr Carr says "The Committee has granted slightly later hours for Saturday and Sunday nights, but I hope that licensees will listen to the concerns of local residents about noise and refuse so that everyone can benefit from the season."
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- THANKS to pressure from your local councillors Champions Wharf, Poplar Court Parade and Cambridge Gardens are all getting new planting and repairs to brickwork and paths this year. "Keeping our open spaces looking good is important" says Cllr Michael Wilson "and work done now will look great this summer."
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- FOR 20 years, the Marble Hill Society has been working to enhance the collection and support the opening up of Henrietta Howard's beautiful, 18thC riverside retreat for the benefit of residents and visitors. A new book about Henrietta will be published by English Heritage this year and there will be a number of events to celebrate her fascinating life and times. If you would like to become a member of the Society and be part of the life of the house and park, please contact Cllr Denise Carr (8288-0042) for an application form.
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- LOCAL youth centre, Heatham House, is one of five across the borough which will benefit from £575,000 capital investment and £250,000 service investment over the next twelve months. Cllr Michael Wilson says "Heatham House is a great centre with lots of activities, events, advice and support for young people, but the building needs this capital investment and the revenue funding will enable a much needed expansion of the activities provided. We are committed to increasing the resources for our youth centres and to giving young people a voice in deciding how the money is used." • ORLEANS Art Gallery, which houses the borough's art collection, is located in the heart of Twickenham Riverside ward at the bottom of Orleans Road. The "In Focus" display, which runs until 6 May includes recent bequests from local artist John Meade and donations from other borough residents. These 20thC additions include a stunning watercolour of Twickenham Riverside by Hugh Goldie and many other local views. Cllr Carr says "We are so lucky to have this gallery on our doorstep, which is free to visit during a casual riverside walk as well as for a special exhibition."
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- YET another gem in our ward is York House Gardens and the magnificent marble statues of ladies and horses by a pond. Now specialist contractors will restore the weathered and damaged figures to their former glory and will also look at improving security to avoid any further vandalism. Cllr Wilson says "We are looking for old photographs of the Cascade Statues to assist with the restoration. If you have any please contact me."
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- JUNK mail and flyers are a nuisance, a waste of resources and add to the rubbish mountain. The borough's EcoAction Team is offering free "No Junk Mail" stickers for residents to attach to letterboxes. Call 08456 122660 or e-mail recycling@richmond.gov.uk for a sticker. You can also call the Mail Preference Service to stop 95% of unwanted mail by calling 0845-070-0707.
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