5 April 2016
At the Public Meeting held this week to discuss the Twickenham Riverside Square development, Riverside Action Group (RAG) set out the fundamental elements of a People’s Brief.
Susan Burningham, Chair of RAG, said:
“It is clear that considerable numbers of local residents and businesses are opposed to the Council’s single option design, and that it is simply wrong for Twickenham. There has been no feasibility study undertaken of the need for this retail development, and no financial assessment or indication of how the proposed residential development will be managed.
“We have developed a starting point for a truly representative brief which takes account of the views of local people. At a minimum we know that whatever happens on Twickenham Riverside, people want an open view to the river with green space. There must also be a town square, an area which can be a hub for activity beside the river which can be used for a farmers’ market or performance space. It is increasingly clear that the local community wishes to see this space used as a hub for the community and not monopolised by development.”
RAG has set out the following as fundamental to moving forward with a Peoples’ Brief. These issues have been gathered from the local community, with some emerging from the Barefoot Consultation conducted in 2010 and others arising repeatedly during the process of collecting petition signatures in 2016.
- A comprehensive planning solution for riverside
- A landscape-led solution
- Not building dominated
- Town Square or plaza
- Improve High Street and protect existing traders
- Ensure river view from King Street
- Working waterfront
- Faithful to Planning Policy, Thames Arcadia and Thames Landscape Strategy
- Appropriate style expressing Twickenham, its work, its history.
- Parking and loading space for Eel Pie Island residents and businesses
- Legacy
- Attraction for children and young people
- Place of entertainment and culture
- Exhibition space: Art/or craft and/or historic boats
- Public toilets
- Based on a proper budget and viability study, with decisions taken in a transparent and inclusive manner
RAG welcomes any further comments from the community on how they would like to see a People’s Brief developed. They can be contacted at riversideaction@gmail.com
ENDS
Notes to Editors
Riverside Action Group is a non-aligned group of concerned residents providing an overarching group for the residents and other stakeholders (including businesses and heritage) of Twickenham who oppose the single option approach to development of Twickenham town centre and riverside to come together, and is interested in hearing from other groups or individuals who wish to contribute views.
The group continues to collect signatures to a petition set up at the start of February calling for the consultation to be re-opened. www.riversideactiongroup.uk