RIVERSIDE ACTION GROUP PUBLISHES COMMUNITY BRIEF FOR TWICKENHAM RIVERSIDE

12 May 2016

Riverside Action Group (RAG) has this week published the community brief drawn up following comments from over 1,400 local stakeholders.

The brief pulls together views gathered at two public meetings, from speaking to the public over the course of three months at street stalls, and views expressed online through the petition and via e-mail comments.

Susan Burningham, Chairman of RAG, commented:

“In view of the sensitivity of the riverside site, and the failure of successive top-down attempts to achieve a consensus on how to proceed, RAG has worked with local stakeholders to try to develop an outline of the key elements the community wants from this precious site. We are grateful to have been offered a wealth of experience, expertise and community spirit, and a willingness on the part of local residents and businesses to be involved in the legacy of Twickenham’s riverside.

“RAG urges Richmond Council to hear the Twickenham community and ensure that any development on Twickenham riverside responds to this brief.”

The guiding principles of the brief are:

  • To provide a Town Centre – a heart – for Twickenham that clearly defines the town and its working riverside
  • A whole site solution that runs from King Street to the river, bounded by Water and Wharf Lanes, incorporating the Diamond Jubilee Gardens. The whole area needs to be developed as a harmonious area
  • It should be mainly open space, bordered by buildings. An overwhelming feedback has been that people do not want a huge building, they do not want a block of flats, nor do they want shops; any buildings should fit in with the height, scale and spirit of the existing riverside
  • The new riverside should be a space for public enjoyment, a hub for the local community and a draw for visitors to the town. The 1960’s music heritage of Eel Pie Island, for instance, is a legacy worth celebrating, alongside the history of a working riverfront
  • Shopkeepers want an attractive area to which people are drawn. They believe if people are given a reason to visit Twickenham, footfall in the current shops will increase and the business community begin once more to thrive. This opinion has been borne out by the last two Town Managers.

The full brief can be found at www.riversideactiongroup.uk

  • ENDS –
  • Riverside Action Group (RAG) is a non-aligned group of concerned residents of Twickenham who oppose the single option approach to development of Twickenham town centre and riverside. RAG’s goal is to see the best possible solution for the future of Twickenham’s important riverside.