Save Twickenham Riverside Public Gardens

HISTORIC OPEN SPACE ON TWICKENHAM RIVERSIDE TO BE BULLDOZED FOR PRIVATE APARTMENTS

Richmond Council has made a land grab for the Diamond Jubilee Gardens on which it wants to develop a 21m high-rise building using £35 million of public money to bulldoze a much-loved children’s playground and community café and rip out 23 of 24 existing trees on the Gardens. Nearly 200m2 of tree canopy will be axed alongside over 100m of native hedgerow resulting in a loss of character, amenity and wildlife habitat.

WE ARE BEING SHORT-CHANGED

The proposed Wharf Lane building will drastically alter the skyline and reduce the Open Space offering on the riverfront forever. It will be greater in height and mass than any other building on the High Street and brings almost no amenity value to the public. Replacement Open Space will be confined between tall buildings and relegated to the flood zone.

The Twickenham Riverside Trust, a charity run by local volunteers, was granted a 125-year lease on the Gardens by the Council in 2014, so that green and open leisure space in this unique area could be protected for the public for the future.

Now, just eight years later, the Council is using Compulsory Purchase powers to seize the land, in order to force the building through. A public inquiry is set for June 2023.

JOIN US TO STOP THE GARDEN LAND GRAB

ALL the derelict areas alongside the Gardens on Water Lane are on Council owned and run land. They can be rejuvenated, other access and landscaping improvements made, and views of the river enhanced – without building on the Gardens. Likewise, car parking can be removed from the waterfront at any time.

Together, we can achieve genuine improvements on the Riverside for future generations to enjoy.