From: Serge Lourie
re: The Leader answers back on Twickenham 15 February 2002


Dear Editor

TWICKENHAM RIVERSIDE REDEVELOPMENT BENEFITS
I should like to respond to the points by your correspondents who have sought to negate the 13 excellent points made by my colleague Sir David Williams. I have taken the original points, the responses of the objectors and put after them my views. I hope this adds light to the debate.

The Council is not acting wickedly, quixotically or foolishly. It is trying to make Twickenham a better place for residents of the borough. I have added a final point which I think is important.

Over the years we have seen Twickenham decline as a shopping and business centre. The Council has worked with local amenity groups and businesses to reverse this. We have seen the first stirrings of an improvement with the arrival of Waitrose and Marks & Spencer. The Council believes that the proposals for the Twickenham Riverside will make the town a much better place and will improve it as a place to live, work, enjoy oneself and shop.

Cllr. Serge Lourie
Leader of the Council

 

Sir David's
13 public benefits

Comment from the objecting correspondents
Serge Lourie's response
1. Public use of the 25 metre swimming pool each day and at weekends Charges will be public swimming bath rates

Public benefit is a small fraction of cost of the Health & Fitness Centre

  • The pool is less than half the size of the pool which used to be on the site. It is shown as constant depth of over 2m, and is thus not suitable for children.
  • Hours of admission have not yet been agreed and cannot be guaranteed.
  • The rest of the club will not be open to the public
  • The Council will be paying an "opportunity cost" for use

This is just not true. The benefit has to be independently verified and will be substantial.

Competition pools are now 25 or 50 metres. A pool of 50 yards is an anachronism

Details about depth and hours will be negotiated. 2 metres is unusual

The public will receive a substantial benefit from the use of the pool which was wanted in the original consultation
2. A three screen Arts Cinema, one screen also having community arts use - with facilities to promote performance of the arts as well as cinema use

Minimal public benefit

  • It is being built underground to bring the height below the planning limit. This is a very costly exercise
  • No local arts group is claiming ownership
  • Programme of public events to become part of Council's existing Arts programme
  • An "opportunity cost" to be paid by Council for public use
  • Times of public use not specified.
  • Facilities for public arts use are two single toilets to be used as changing rooms and a small workshop which serves also as an access route to the toilet.
  • Cinema viewed by many independent experts as non-viable.
  • Despite Council's intent to place restrictions on the lease, it is likely to convert to a night club in near future. What better use for a hole in the ground?

Building the arts space/cinema underground makes the development acceptable in planning terms.

A number of local arts groups will use the space

The opportunity cost of the space is more than matched by the opportunity benefit

Times will be agreed with the COUNCIL

The facility for public use is far more than "a small workshop which serves also as an access route to the toilet"

Other independent experts and local people have said it would be very popular.

The point about a night club is preposterous.
3. A series of linked open spaces as "town squares" public open space, also available for external performances and markets such as the French centre and giving this part of Twickenham a distinctive feel.

River Use WP proposed this as a public benefit, and proposal gained widespread public support, but

  • These are mainly circulation space
  • The architects rejected the proposals for a piazza & town square within the development, preferring a balcony. This is not suitable for public events, and is likely to be colonised by cafes & bars.
  • Permission has been given for occasional markets on the Embankment, and these are taking place

I repeat what David Williams said:

A series of linked open spaces as "town squares" public open space, also available for external performances and markets such as the French centre and giving this part of Twickenham a distinctive feel.
4. Pedestrianising the road between the site and the river and providing disabled access, and improved signage.

How can the closure of a Public Highway be claimed as a public benefit to be credited to the adjacent development?

  • Architects claim piazza activities can be carried out on the closed Embankment. River Use WP conclude it is most unsuited for such activities.
  • It may not be possible to close the Embankment - it is vital for local businesses

The new development makes it possible to pedestrianise the embankment

Architects disagree with each other

The details of the closure of the embankment is open for discussion
5. 62 bicycle spaces in the development, and 32 more on the Embankment. At least we agree on one thing
6. 19 replacement underground car parking spaces for those lost on the Embankment.

Factually incorrect

  • Secure undergroung parking is only for the new residents (1 per flat) & 19 businesses places lost to the private car park behind Abbey National
 Parking standards comply with the Council's Unitary Development Plan
7. Constructing a mooring pontoon on the river bank by the site by agreement with the riverside community

This is not included in the proposal. It can not be classed as a benefit

  • Were it to be included in the proposal, the GLA could have called it in
  • The River Use WP was set up to review and make recommendations in respect of a pontoon
Do the objectors want a pontoon and to encourage use of the river?
8. Environmental improvements and comprehensive landscaping for the whole area.

Not a benefit to be credited to the developer

  • It's long overdue but its dependent on "funds being identified" according to the application
  • River Use WP felt the proposals fell short of what is required
Why not? The development makes the improvements possible
9. Council acquiring the freehold of the 20 per cent of the site not already owned.
  • Is this the private car park behind Abbey National? If so, the provision is to be made for the parking slots to be transferred to the secure under ground car park within the development subject to the terms of the 125-yr lease to the developer.
    Where's the benefit?
 The Council owns more land on behalf of local people
10. The Council keeping the freehold of the site in perpetuity
  • It already has it
 Not all of it. See the answer to the above question 9.
11. Adding several million pounds of long-term value to the Council's property holdings
  • How?
  • A benefit to the public that may be realised in the year 2127 when the lease is up for renewal.
 The development converts the value of the derelict land and buildings into a long term usable asset of benefit to local people.
12. £750,000 surplus to be reinvested in Twickenham leisure projects.

A distinct, measurable benefit, but

  • Not commensurate with the scale of the development (£24m?).
  • "Up to £2m" was promised in Jan 2000. Where has the missing £1.25m gone?
 £750,000 in cash plus around £6 million in other benefits is a significant plus for the borough.
13. New public toilets with disabled access
  • The existing spacious toilets are to be replaced with two automated thunderboxes, one of which is to be placed right on the edge of the river. Arguably a disbenefit
 New toilets will be a benefit and not thunderboxes!
Additional from Gillian Norton (Chief Executive of the Council)Pedestrian link to King Street
  • When King St was owned by one developer and another was responsible for the pool site, there was a price to be paid to make the breakthrough. Now one developer, the breakthrough links two parts of his site.

Developer benefits more than the public.

This is entirely incorrect. Making access to the river better from King Street is an enormous advantage and will enable local people to enjoy the river more easily. Currently the town turns away from the river.

The public will benefit
Additional point from Serge Lourie, Leader of the Council   The improvement of the derelict riverside will help speed up the revitalisation of Twickenham which has only recently started to improve after a long decline.

 

Yours Sincerely

Serge Lourie LEADER, RICHMOND COUNCIL

PRINT OUT THE LETTER FROM OBJECTING CORRESPONDENTS (pdf file 15k)
3 February 2002

PRINT OUT THIS LETTER (pdf file 30k)
15 February 2002