- First images of ‘new’ Riverside pool site unveiled
- Residents thanked for hospice generosity
- New grants to promote energy efficiency
- Station redevelopment plans approved
- Christmas waste and recycling collections
- Schools top national results tables
- Christmas and new year opening hours
- One step closer to ‘Achieving for Children’
- Borough’s bloomers praised by Mayor
- Residents asked about future plan for Twickenham
- Listening to Twickenham businesses
- Richmond calls for Government action on metal theft
- Robo-Attack at the Riverside Gallery
- Keep safe this Christmas
- Riverside jewel to be borough's latest open space
- Council with community at its heart
- Christmas cheer for older residents
- Crane Park Christmas present for residents
- Borough on the way to recovery
- Children with autism get special screening at Richmond Cinema
- Hampton families invited for sneak preview at new family centre
- Rocking at the Urban Christmas Carol
- Mr Marc Cranfield Adams
- Deck the Halls with the Garden Gang
- Residents invited to create local anthology about Barnes
- High quality secondary education for all
- Attention! Kneller Hall available for weddings
Release Date: 09/12/2011
Riverside jewel to be boroughs latest open space
Community-led plans to create a new open public space, including a public square and gardens, on the site of the long-derelict swimming pool at Twickenham Riverside have been unveiled by Richmond Council.
The ideas have been brought together following extensive consultation with local people and businesses through the Barefoot consultation, the Twickenham Conference and the All in One process.
The project, due to start in the new year, represents the biggest step towards the fulfilment of the Council’s commitment to making the town’s riverside available for everyone to use and enjoy after three decades of indecision and lost opportunities.
Revealing the plan, Council Leader Lord True said: “We promised to make every possible effort to put the Riverside back into the hands of the people of Twickenham. Whereas in the past the Council sought to impose from the top ideas that were not wanted, we have now responded to the overwhelming wish of local people to save the Riverside as public open space for all time. With these plans, we have moved a further major step towards achieving that. I can promise that this Council will continue to plan for the whole site to be given in trust to the town forever. It cannot, and will no longer, be a political football or be allowed to attract the greed of developers.
“It is very fitting that the small Jubilee Gardens created to mark Her Majesty’s 50th year, should now reach its full beautiful potential in perfect time for our monarch’s Diamond Jubilee. This land will join Terrace Gardens and York House Gardens as the latest jewel in our crown of outstanding open spaces and be part of what we hope will be a Riverside linear park in the future.
“Our plan draws on proposals from the Twickenham Riverside Terrace Group which received planning permission in February. I would like to publically recognise their contribution in coming up with a scheme which is the basis for the most long-awaited improvement to the area in years. All Twickenham people who have contributed and who have helped to fight off developers more than once in the past should feel proud their scheme will light the way for the wholesale improvement of the town centre through our Twickenham Action Plan. This is community partnership at its best.”
The site will be cleared of 30 years’ worth of weeds, building materials and debris, to be landscaped into three sections: A simple grassed area immediately behind Café Sunshine, a park space in front of the old diving board, which will be kept as a memorial to the long struggle to re-open the site and the last, closest to the old changing rooms, would be paved to become a public square. The Council hopes that square will tie in to plans for the currently built part of the site that will be brought forward after further consultation in 2012. All three would be linked through a running pattern replicating the lanes of a swimming pool, linking to the site’s history.
An improved entrance to the site from Wharf Lane will be created next to the play area, making it easier for shoppers in King Street and Heath Road to find the site. Pride of place will go to a new feature commemorating the jubilee.
The play area will be retained and bounded by a low hedge to keep dogs out. New railings and trees will be installed around the edges of the site for safety and to create ambience.
The site is immediately behind the Secret Garden which faces the river, and which was opened up in January 2011. Once the clearance work is completed, the two will be linked by the removal of the hoarding at the back of the garden.
Plans for the improvements, including an artist’s impression will be on display for a month at Café Sunshine, in the Civic Centre and on the council’s website. They include examples of the types of materials being used and the exact layout of the site, which people can comment on if they wish before the work starts. Further details will be made available shortly.
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