Twickenham Conference
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
8,)&%6)*338 '327908%8-32 6)79087 8[MGOIRLEQ&EVIJSSX'SRWYPXEXMSR¯.YP] Table of contents INTRODUCTION 3 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 4 SOAP BOX AND VIDEO DIARY THEMES 5 SURVEY QUESTIONNAIRE 8 ARTIST IMPRESSIONS 11 IDEAS WALL 12 ONLINE SURVEY 15 2 Introduction Twickenham is one of the largest town centres in Richmond upon Thames and there are a number of large development opportunities in the area which aim to improve its economic standing and built environment. These opportunities include: the regeneration of the Riverside area, the possible redevelopment of the Post Office Sorting site and planned improvements at Twickenham Station. In addition the soon to open hotel at Regal House will no doubt impact the local economy, parking and employment. With this in mind, and given the new administrations commitment to listen to the views of all residents regarding their local community, Richmond Council has committed to carry out a three-stage consultation involving residents and businesses in Twickenham. The first stage of the consultation – the Barefoot Consultation was an informal event giving all residents and businesses in Twickenham the opportunity to share their ideas about how Twickenham should be developed. This report concentrates on the findings from this event. The event was hosted in the Clarendon Hall and then moved to the Civic Centre Atrium from Thursday 22 – Saturday 24 July. It was made up of several different areas. Exhibition Inviting local residents and community groups to display their ideas and proposals for the local area. Ideas Wall All visitors to the exhibition were invited to write down their ideas and thoughts about Twickenham. These large ‘post it’ notes were displayed on a wall for others to read. Survey All visitors to the exhibition were asked to complete a short survey upon leaving. This survey asked them questions about Twickenham, their thoughts on the exhibitions and if they would like to sign up for a Twickenham data base to receive information about future events/opportunities regarding the area. Online feedback For residents who were unable to attend the core event, there was also the opportunity for them to submit their ideas online. Presentations/Soap Box All exhibitors were given the opportunity to carry out a short five minute presentation outlining their proposals and thoughts for the area. Other visitors were also invited to take the ‘soap box’ stage and have their say. Video diary room All visitors were invited to go into the diary room and record their messages for the Council as to how they think Twickenham should be developed. Artist impression An artist was in attendance at the core event for residents to describe their vision for Twickenham. These visualisations were then displayed in the Civic Centre. 3 Executive Summary There were several common themes that came out of the Barefoot consultation. It is felt that Twickenham town centre is in desperate need of improvement and needs to be more welcoming and enticing for residents and visitors alike. However, people feel that any redevelopment should be shaped by the local community and not by a profit making developer. New development must reflect the needs of the local community. All ideas for the area had a community theme. Concerning the riverside, the main ideas were for the development of a town square as well as potentially building a centre which could be used for multiple purposes (e.g. café, clubs and societies etc.). A number of people are concerned about the lack of leisure facilities in the town centre and would like plans to include leisure sites such as a swimming pool, ice rink and a cinema. This would cater to the needs of teenagers who, many feel, have nothing to do in Twickenham. The post office site was suggested as a good place to build leisure facilities. There was unanimous agreement that Twickenham should stay low rise. There was concern over plans to build a 10 storey housing block. It is generally felt any new development must be a maximum of three to four storeys high. People want increased access to the riverside from the surrounding streets and many think cars should be removed from the riverside. An underground car park at the rear of the riverside site was proposed as a potential solution to this. The idea of increased pedestrianisation was advocated by many residents. The idea of a foot and cycle bridge linking Radnor Gardens and Ham is a popular idea. 4 Soap Box and Video Diary Themes At the main consultation event, there was a soap box giving members of the public the chance to voice their ideas and concerns about Twickenham and the proposed redevelopment plans. This was video recorded. There was also a video diary which gave members of the public the opportunity to discuss their views in private. The key themes to come out of these two exercises are discussed below. Community led, not given to the hands of developers A common theme running throughout was that any redevelopment plans should be shaped through the involvement of local people, and led by the community, rather than placed in the hands of a profit making developer. Criticism was made of redevelopment proposals over the last 29 years in that they were previously funded by Enabling Development – essentially where a developer would carry out a project which would involve the development of the entire site over a period of six or so years. At the end of a project the developer would be able to sell at profit on the condition that some development is allocated to public amenities. In theory Enabling Development should result in relatively quick redevelopment at no cost to the tax payer. However, it was argued that in reality this had not been the case. Several action groups in Twickenham lobby for the well planned and community led development of the riverside area. These include the Twickenham Riverside Terrace Group, and the Friend’s of Twickenham Riverside. These groups advocate community lead development of the riverside area that adopts a step by step process to redevelopment. Further, they support the notion of community participation to achieve what is most popular for the community. Development that reflects the needs of the community If new development does take place in Twickenham, residents want to feel that it reflects the needs of the local community. If a new housing block is built at the site of the station, it is hoped that a good proportion of the new development will be allocated as social housing, therefore supporting diversity in Twickenham and allowing access for key workers. Further, mixed usage was supported, for example, having a mixture of housing and retail in a new development. Residents want new development to have value for the community as a whole. This argument was particularly strong regarding suggestions for development of the riverside area. 5 Have infrastructure in place For any new developments that take place, it was argued that appropriate infrastructure needs to be created at the same time. Several residents were against the proposals by Solus for the creation of a new 10 storey residential tower block as the plans did not include provision for extra parking spaces. Several residents were concerned that the current infrastructure in Twickenham would not be able to cope with any population rises occurring as a result of development. Providing significant infrastructure (schools, healthcare etc.) was seen as a key part of any development that takes place. To ensure that development takes into account the needs to the resident and visitor population, it was suggested that there needs to be a system in place to ensure that nothing is done ad-hoc, and that progress is brought about through cooperation amongst local residents. No to high rise Most of those who spoke were against the idea of any high rise development (e.g. the proposed 10 storey tower blocks proposed by Solus at the station). The general consensus was that any new development should be around the four to five storey level and residents were weary of repeating perceived problems over the Travel Lodge development. One mentioned that they hoped the newly elected council would stick to its promise of keeping any new development low. The riverside – potential to be the most popular space in Twickenham The riverside area was seen by many residents as having potential to be a catalyst for change in Twickenham and various ideas were given for how it could be developed. All ideas for the area had a community theme. The main ideas were for the development of a town square as well as potentially building a centre which could be used for multiple purposes (e.g. café, clubs and societies etc.) One resident suggested that three of the shops at the end of the south side of King Street should be compulsory purchased by the council and demolished. It was argued that this would open up the line of site to the river form the railway station and create a real heart for the town. Removing cars from the riverside was seen as a good idea by many residents, and it was argued that this would increase the potential for the riverside site. An underground car park at the rear of the riverside site was proposed as a potential solution to this. It was suggested that removing cars from the riverside would double to amount of space available which could be developed into a community site. One speaker advocated that Twickenham traffic should be for local vehicles only, and passing traffic should be diverted from the centre. 6 Increasing walking and cycling Several speakers suggested the creation of a walkway which would span from the railway station, through to the rugby stadium, incorporating the post office and college sites en route.