The Twickenham Challenge is dead; long live the
Twickenham Challenge!

Inside the old baths site, awaiting a new use for 25 years and now to be subject of some fresh thinking

Richmond Environment Trust's proposal for a river centre as the community facility for the old baths on Twickenham Embankment was the favoured of the three proposals for the site under the Twickenham Challenge.

Richmond upon Thames Cabinet, meeting at York House on Monday 9th October, decided that a riverside site should have a river related community facility. The two other challengers, however - the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme and the Busen Gym - are to be found somewhere suitable elsewhere in the Twickenham area. The two organisations have stated that they would share a facility.

The next move will be a fresh planning brief for this site - T1 - possibly in the next six months.

The Twickenham Challenge was initiated by the previous administration - an invitation to local organisations to put forward proposals for a community element on the old baths site. Several organisations rose to the challenge, but at the final fence only three remained. The Challenge programme inexplicably slipped by more than a year under the previous adminsitration, so on Monday, under the new administration, the matter was at last put for decision before cabinet.

Following a gloomy and negative officer report to cabinet, listing problems and difficulties arising from the Twickenham Challenge process, the groups were prepared for the worst, and this was reflected in several three-minute presentations.

However, the message from the top table was unexpectedly positive. Though the concept of the Twickenham Challenge is now declared dead, the submissions may yet inspire new community facilities for Twickenham.

Said Cllr Stephen Knight, deputy leader: "This is an important landmark site in Twickenham. It is next to the river and we can't neglect that fact. Therefore the proposal for a river related centre on the site does seem to us to have benefits in terms of the development of the site.

"We are highly committed to resourcing and putting energy and commitment into facilities for young people and backing sports facilities.

"We are therefore trying to find a way of moving forward with all of these proposals and at the same time proceeding with a redevelopment of the site, which has been derelict for 25 years."

Cllr Knight proposed a way forward to meet these objectives:

to work with the Environment Trust with the aim of incorporating a river related centre as part of the overall development of Twickenham Riverside, one which will be viable without any ongoing public subsidy - not necessarily the scheme proposed under the Twickenham Challenge;

to work with the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme and Busen to ensure their proposals - separately or jointly - can come to fruition on an alternative local site in council ownership;

to terminate the Twickenham Challenge;

to ensure overall development will generate youth and sporting activity in the local area, perhaps taking forward the Duke of Edinburgh and Busen projects.

Cllr Knight continued: "I hope that this set of proposals will go some way to delivering the aims of all three groups and achieving overall development of the site for the benefit of everybody in Twickenham."

Wha was left of the old pool itself

Cllr Denise Carr, one of the ward members, said that the council was determined to take forward the development of the riverside at Twickenham in a positive way. "I am delighted the council will be working with the Duke of Edinburgh and Busen, to find an alternative location. But today's decision is about the riverside site and what the community wants to work for on that riverside site.

"My personal commitment as ward councillor is to work to make sure that the river centre does materialise on that site," declared Cllr Carr, who also nailed her colours to the mast on proper toilets for the town centre.

"It is an important point about this land being held in trust for the community," continued Cllr Carr. "Absolutely it is. It is nothing short of a disgrace that together the council and the community haven't been able to deliver a development on the site in 25 years. This has to change and the commitment of this council, and myself and Cllr David Trigg as ward councilors, is that it will change, and in the foreseeable future with the time frame for the development of the site brief that will result in a decision.

"Will developers be involved? Yes. But the important thing is to work in partnership with the local communities, and that is what we are determined to do."

There was applause for Cllr Carr's undertaking.

In a brief recap of the long history of the site, Cllr David Williams pointed out that he was in the unique position of being on the council continuously since the decision was taken in 1981 by a then Conservative administration to close the pool, a decision supported by another council member who was also in the very room - Cllr Geoffrey Samuel.

"We saw the development of this site as a catalyst for Twickenham town centre and we wanted to link Twickenham to the river - but the cost of doing it was too high," said Cllr Williams. "The good thing this evening is we think the priority should be seen in terms of community benefit of this site, and to develop it in relation to the river."

"This is not just a lump of land but a river frontage here. We have a river frontage which is used for car parking. We must do better than that. I hope we will give priority to river related facilities and that we see the site as something more than a lump of land that the baths used to occupy behind the Twickenham shop frontage."

Cllr Martin Elengorn commented: "I think it is dreadful this has taken so long, but there are compensations because the priorities of this administration fit in well with these schemes - environment, sport and youth." Cllr Elengorn pointed out that the sustainability agenda could also play a leading role in a new look at the site. "We have a chance to get an outstanding building in sustainability terms. This will be modest maybe, but in line with the objectives of this council. I am hopeful that the proposals from the other groups will trigger a sustainable building too."

Winding up the debate, Cllr Serge Lourie, council leader, said: "We will work with the Environment Trust on this site to incorporate a river-related centre as part of the development of T1. We will work with the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme and Busen Gym to ensure their proposals can provide a facility. I hope we get two good schemes out of it."

See the reports to cabinet (agenda item 9) here

See earlier articles here

Tuesday, October 10, 2006