From: Ken Elmes 11 April 2003
Re: Twickenham Challenge

Dear Sir,

The five submissions to the Council in answer to the 'Twickenham Challenge' are all very commendable. Almost all, if indeed not all, of them are catered for in the Twickenham Riverside Terrace Group's proposals for the long overdue development for our riverside.

Why the council seem to dismiss the plans out of hand is difficult to understand. The Group's approved plans allow for the refurbishment of the site, in keeping with the wishes of the hundreds of Twickenham people consulted over many years now, allows for a children's playground, young people, river related usage, public walkways, a small training pool, accommodation for voluntary organisations and the possibility of many more things. And now the amended plans of the group, at the insistence of the Council, cater for a little housing on the site as an enabling development.

What is puzzling is why TRTG seems to be brushed aside, by the Council, as a bunch of amateurs when in fact the group consists of surveyors, structural engineers, accountants, business consultants, quantity surveyors, solicitors, a former councillor and others giving their time and expertise to the benefit of the public free of charge. As did councillors in the long past days of civic pride and public building.

With the continually growing mountain, over twenty years, of administration costs, consultants fees, reports, developers failing scheme costs, and site security the present administration of the council is falling into the same mire as the last. It is very difficult to see who is leading who? Elected, paid, Councillors taking a lead or officers leading the councillors.

Are we in for another twenty years of delay?

Yours sincerely,

Ken Elmes

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