Release Date: 12/11/2012

Next stage of Twickenham town centre overhaul to begin after residents had their say

The plan to improve the street scene in Twickenham town centre will be considered by the Council’s Cabinet this week, after residents had their say on the radical proposals.

Following this summer’s major consultation an overall 74 per cent of respondents were in favour of proposed changes which will regenerate the town centre by creating better quality streets, improving the public realm and reducing the negative impact of traffic.

The next stage of the scheme will be to develop a detailed design plan taking into consideration the comments received during the consultation.

Key elements of the scheme that will be considered by Cabinet include pavements widening and renewal in high quality materials in King Street and London Road, improved crossing points, a 20mph limit throughout the town centre, removal of unnecessary signage and clutter, replacement of street furniture and new car park signage.

Changes to the original proposals include cycle lanes along King Street and London Road, and keeping the mandatory cycle lane leading up to the railway bridge, together with improved access and cycle facilities at the Wharf Lane junction for cyclists wishing to travel to/from Richmond on a traffic free route.

The Council carried out extensive consultation with residents, which included leaflets to 19,000 households and several “drop in” events to inform residents of the plans before giving them the opportunity to comment on the scheme. The proposals form part of a wider range of projects and initiatives as part of the overarching Twickenham Area Action Plan.

Cllr Chris Harrison, Cabinet Member for Environment said: “Local residents have long supported the general principles within the Twickenham Area Action Plan to improve the town centre environment. There is a widespread perception that the Town Centre as a whole and particularly King Street is not pedestrian or cyclist-friendly, nor are aspects visually pleasing.

“That we have residents in our borough passionate enough to have strong views on the proposals that seek to reduce the dominance of traffic and improve the environment for pedestrians and cyclists will now help us develop a detailed final design for change. This is a great opportunity and we are grateful to residents for supporting us in our vision to reclaim our town centre for residents.”