Cllr Martin Elengorn, opposition Lib Dem spokesman for the environment, commented that the Inspector's recommendations, published early as part of the inquiry into modifications to the unitary development plan, by no means provided carte blanche for the Richmond Council's temporary scheme for a playground area on the upstream end of the old swimming pool site on Twickenham riverside.

"Firstly, and contrary to what Tony Arbour implies in his press release, the Cabinet had only conditionally agreed to provide toilet facilities and now the Inspector is forcing it to provide toilets unconditionally, which is very welcome," said Cllr Elengorn.

The November 2004 Cabinet decision included:

• initial research into the feasibility of the temporary café/lavatories and baby change facilities as additions to the short-term scheme, as detailed in paragraph 4 of the report, be noted;
• authority be delegated to the Chief Executive to submit a further planning application for the café, etc, if this would not cause undue delay to the local inquiry for the original planning application, subject to an appropriate risk appraisal, and the financial implications of providing the café, etc be noted.

Cll Elengorn continued: "Equally importantly the Inspector requires that 'the brief should indicate the extent of the public open space to be provided which should be immutable irrespective of the time scale of any proposals '.

"In other words the open space to be provided in the temporary scheme needs to be in the right place for the permanent scheme. In those terms it should not be 'temporary open space'.

"It is by no means clear that the temporary scheme has the open space in the right place for the long-term and, if it is not, the Council will have to withdraw the called-in temporary scheme. There are other issues about the temporary scheme, in particular whether it is visually acceptable in the Conservation Area."

The necessity for high security fencing around the two-thirds of the site not included in the temporary playground area came under criticism from local groups, as did the position of the scheme which local people said they wanted to see at the other end of the site, near the popular slipway and bird feeding area.

Thursday, January 29, 2004

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