Riversniffers » Local Politics

The Twickenham natives are revolting (again)

riversniffers — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 12:37:12 +0000

It’s more or less a year since the first mass protest on Twickenham Riverside about the plan to redevelop the site of the former swimming pool. And it’s 10 months since the “funeral march” for the Riverside (see previous posts on Riversniffers).

One week before a local election on May 6th, the situation now boils down to this: If the incumbent LibDem council is re-elected they will go ahead with the redevelopment plan. If the Conservatives get in they will scrap the development plan, put the land in trust for the public in perpetuity and draw up a plan for the site which involves public use/amenity.

Local campaigners (including it must be said a fair number of Tory activists) gathered at the Barmy Arms on the evening of the 27th April and marched one last time on York House, where the council were due to meet.

Brief video footage of the event is included here for interest. We’ll return to this issue again, after the election.

Protest in Richmond Park

riversniffers — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 12:15:12 +0000

On Saturday 30th January about 1,000 people gathered in Richmond Park to protest against the plan by the Royal Parks commission to introduce parking charges in the parks’ car parks. In our borough, Richmond and Bushey Parks would be affected.

A full slate of local politicians from all parties attended. All condemned the plans as likely to hit the elderly and the less well-off particularly.

There follows some photos of the event. If, like Riversniffers, you are against these plans you will find suggested actions at the end of this post.

Signing a petition against the parking charges

Susan Kramer, MP for Richmond Park spoke agains the plan, as did Vince Cable

Deborah Thomas, Conservative Parliamentary candidate for Twickenham, signs the petition

As does Zac Goldsmith, Conservative parliamentary candidate for Richmond Park

and local resident Sir Trevor Macdonald

The petition fills up...

United in opposition to the plan

It's not just Richmond Park that will be affected

A bike with a message

That about sums it up

If you disagree with the proposed charges, you can write to Margaret Hodge, the government minister dealing with the matter. Her address is: Rt Hon Margaret Hodge MBE, House of Commons, London SW1A 0AA Or if you want to email her a quick Google search will pull up the necessary contact details.

But our local MPs point out that the Royal Parks Commission is the most arrogant quango, and having discussed the matter with Ms Hodge, they are not optimistic that her mind can be changed either.

But introducing the charges will need an act of Parliament, which will not happen before a general election. Both Conservatives and LDs are opposed to the scheme, so it may be that if the government changes in May people may continue to use these priceless assets freely, as they always have done.

Fingers crossed.

Twickenham Riverside saved?

riversniffers — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 20:09:29 +0000

Well no it isn’t, actually. But before a contract is signed for the River Centre and enabling housing the people of Twickenham will get the chance to make their wishes known at the ballot box.

At the end of a meeting of the full council on 20th October, LibDem Council Leader Serge Lourie made an announcement that stunned his audience. Because the Council’s chosen developer, Countryside Properties had filed delayed accounts for 2008/9, and those accounts showed a substantial loss for that year, it has been decided that it would be imprudent to proceed with this particular contractor without seeing their accounts for 2009/10. These accounts will not appear until the summer of 2010.

Before that, in May 2010, there is a local election. The Conservative opposition has declared it will not proceed with the Countryside scheme, but will instead consult with local amenity groups to arrive at a largely open-space scheme which will preserve the use of the majority of the Riverside land for the public.

This is yet another chapter in the 30-year saga of this site. But opponents of the Countryside scheme point out that a 9-12 month delay is still preferable to losing public amenity land for 999 years.

The May 2010 local election will have a special relevance for the residents of Twickenham.

Funeral for Twickenham Riverside

riversniffers — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 15:11:27 +0000

An extraordinary event took place in Twickenham yesterday. Prior to a council meeting at York House, at which the Conservative opposition sought to have the Riverside decision-making process reviewed, members of the Save our Riverside group took part in a mock funeral for Richmond Riverside.

There follows a selection of photographs of the event. There’s not much need for text to explain it much further – readers who have read the earlier post on this subject “Save Our Riverside” will be familiar with the issue.

Needless to say, despite the demonstration and many cogent arguments from members of the public and opposition councillors, the LibDem council is going ahead with their chosen scheme for the Riverside.

Anyway, here are the pictures of the mock funeral – the strangest event the town has seen for quite a while.

Save our Riverside

riversniffers — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 12:01:30 +0000

On Friday 24^th April about 200 people gathered on Twickenham Riverside to protest against the Richmond Council plan to put houses and offices on Twickenham Riverside.

Long-standing residents will know the troubled history of this site. Many will have longed for “something to be done” about it. Well, the trouble is, the “something” that Richmond Council has come up with is the worst of all worlds, and mean this crucial piece of public land will be lost to the public for the next 100 years or more.

In a recent consultation, a clear majority were against the Council’s plans. But the Council is disregarding the consultation findings. They propose to go ahead with the scheme, and say those opposed to the scheme are a “politically motivated” minority.

Take a look at the people in the photographs. Do they look like a politically motivated minority to you?

No, I thought not.

It takes a lot to provoke the rather peaceful residents of this Borough into direct action. But yesterday they demonstrated. The demonstration was good-natured, and good mannered. But there is a deep anger at what the Council is intending.

The rationale for covering the Riverside in luxury housing is to fund the development of a £3 million office building, which will be used as an Environment Centre.

Many people are deeply sceptical about the commercial viability of such a centre. Riversniffers has spoken to a lot of people. Not one person we have spoken to has seen the need for it. Most are at a loss as to its purpose.

Sorry, Trevor - this scheme is not just a wind-up. They mean to do it

Many point out that the Environment Trust that wants to put the centre in Twickenham has been offered alternative premises on Eel Pie Island. Many people also feel that the scheme may just be a Trojan horse for the eventual takeover of the office building as luxury riverside offices for the Council “nomenklatura”

Despite what people think, the Council is determined to push ahead. The next action will be taken at a Cabinet meeting at York House on Monday 27th April at 7pm. The purpose of the meeting is to approve the choice of a developer to carry out the scheme, and to authorise the sale of the land.

: We’re going ahead anyway…

The public are entitled to attend the meeting. You may wish to attend yourself, and witness the final act in this deeply misguided exercise. You can at least say you were there when the people of Twickenham lost this crucial public amenity for ever.