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.

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.

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.