Riverside regeneration a step closer

12.33.16pm BST (GMT +0100) Sat 30th Jun 2007

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.

A panel chaired by the Council Leader and including a representative from the Environment Trust for Richmond upon Thames, who will operate the proposed River Centre on part of the site, have recommended the appointment of urban design experts, Urban Practitioners, 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."