FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS – SAVE OUR RIVERSIDE GROUP
Q. Why are you against housing on the Twickenham Riverside old swimming pool site?
- This land was bought in 1924 for the people of Twickenham for “public walks and pleasure grounds” It should be kept as public open space.
- The Inspector appointed by the Secretary of State in 2003 and the New Economic Foundation report (recently commissioned by the Town Centre Management Board) both recommended opening up the town centre to the river, to help rejuvenate Twickenham. The proposed 32 luxury houses and flats will block off the town from the river for ever.
Q. Do you have any other objections to this scheme?
- the demolition of the popular children's playground, café and Jubilee Gardens; they occupy 1/3rd of the site.
- the damaging environmental impact on the area as a result of the housing development and extra traffic; and
- the felling of the trees on the Embankment (mentioned recently by Cllr Lourie at a meeting).
Q. Do you support the River Centre?
- We have always supported a River Centre, but not one which relies on a housing development in order to fund its build.
- We would have supported a River Centre built according to the Twickenham Challenge rules of self funding.
- The proposed River Centre is only partially river related. It contains offices and a large restaurant. The owners of existing local restaurants and cafés fear that a large restaurant on this site will cause irretrievable harm to their own businesses.
Q. What is the Twickenham Challenge?
- It was a competition for a community project, set up in 2003 by the Conservative Council. One of the rules was that the winner would build and fit out their building at no cost to the tax payer, in exchange for a modest plot of land on the old swimming pool site at a peppercorn rent.
- In 2006 three competitors put their case to the newly elected LibDem Cabinet. The Environment Trust was chosen and said that financing the building and fitting out of their River Centre would be “a challenge but achievable.”
- In March 2007 the Cabinet changed the rules so that proceeds from a large housing development (enabling development) would pay for building the River Centre. This enabling development (housing) would not get planning permission on its own, but needed the River Centre in order to obtain it.
Q. Why do you believe that the Environment Trust may not be able to fit out and run a River Centre?
- After three years they have still not been able to provide a viable business plan and have not managed to find the money for the fit out, let alone the running costs of the Centre.
Q. What would you like to see on the site?
- Keep Jubilee Gardens, the existing children's playground and upgrade the café.
- The community has strongly indicated it wants the site as an open landscaped area with a town square ( a venue for farmers/craft/local produce markets, a winter ice rink); also an area for open air performances such as plays or music; sensory gardens; centre for youth and community activities
- The Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme, one of the three Twickenham Challenge finalists, could be invited back to redevelop the existing swimming pool buildings and run river related courses, such as canoeing and sailing and use the buildings for many other voluntary youth/ seniors/ arts groups and many more purposes.
- A more modest River Centre may be incorporated in the building, or go on a nearby site.
Q But the Council keeps on telling us it has no money
- The Council has already spent £¾million of your money on consultants, legal fees etc. on their present scheme. This money will not be recoverable from the developer according to the council.
- The Council has recently found £1million to spend on Richmond Terrace Gardens.
Q. How will you pay for your ideas?
- Working in partnership with a co-operative Council we will seek funds from the many grants available to develop such areas, and this includes the Heritage Lottery Fund which has provided large sums to the Borough for other projects.
- We can also gain access to many more funds that specialise in giving money for outdoor activities.
Q. The site will surely remain derelict for another 20 years if the Countryside scheme does not go ahead?
- Rubbish. With a team of volunteers we can, for a start, move on to the site tomorrow to clear a large area where people could sit and enjoy the river.
- The Council's scheme will deny the public access to this site for at least another 2-3 further years while the building works take place, as well as creating a permanent block to the town centre. When this housing development is completed, our chance of a public open space on the whole site will be lost for ever.
Q. What happens now?
- As a result of our insistence, the Council has to wait for the up-to-date financial position of the developer, Countryside Properties, to be scrutinised before signing a contract. The developer's published accounts only go up to 2007.
- We are waiting for the Environment Trust to produce a viable Business Plan revenue stream, as the Leader of the Council has said that he will not proceed without one.
- Planning permission will be sought later this year.
- All these points will be carefully scrutinised by us and our professional supporters. We are also intending to ask the Secretary of State to intervene as it is quite likely that this Council will go ahead with the sale of the site, in the full knowledge that local residents and business owners are opposed to the development.
