Riverside councillors make the case for the River Centre on Twickenham Riverside

10.09.41am BST (GMT +0100) Thu 21st Aug 2008

• CLLR Denise Carr writes:"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."

"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 and 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 adds: "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 adds: "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.

Related Link:

• Twickenham Riverside: The Council's principal development objectives