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TWICKENHAM
POOLSITE HISTORY, 2008
29 November 2008 - Response to the Save Our Riverside Group's questions on the River Centre business plan
Rob Gray, the Building Manager for the River Centre on the Environment Trust's project team, has replied to the SOR's questions about the River Centre Business Plan. Rob is an experienced project manager who has in the past worked on multi-million pound plans for WS Atkins. The response to the SOR group is here.
4 November 2008 - Environment Trust's Business Plan for the River Centre
Summary Business Plan for the River Centre, 4 November 2008 (.pdf, 31 pages, 335KB)
Shortlisted Developers for the Poolsite
Three groups have been shortlisted to go into the next stage. They are:
28 October 2008 - Twickenham River Centre Business Plan and Agreement with Richmond Adult Community College
The Press Release, announcing the new agreement between the Environment Trust for Richmond upon Thames and the Richmond Adult Community College to provide provide environmental education and vocational courses for all ages based at the River Centre, is
here (.pdf, 3 pages, 57KB).
The Summary Business Plan for the River Centre, detailing sources of revenue and outgoings, is here (.pdf, 31 pages, 335KB). This was discussed at the Council's Co-ordination, Finance and Performance Commission on Tuesday, 4 November at York House.
5 October 2008 - Twickenham Embankment Consultation - 6 October to 24 October 2008
The Council is holding a consultation on the upgrade and improvement of the riverside embankment from Water Lane to Church Lane (NOT including the section in front of the poolsite). Funds for this work have already been allocated, from the Council and London's Arcadia. Plans are on view at the Civic Centre, 44 York Street, Twickenham.
Details can be found here, along with the consultation on the proposed Eel Pie Legends memorial
2 October 2008 - NEW River Centre update
With the introduction "A Window on the River" by Sir David Attenborough, the report sets out what the River Centre will be used for, some notes on the Riverside development, a progress report on where we are now, and the team beh
ind the River Centre, who are already active in the community.
New: Smaller version of the September 2008 update (with the same text but with poorer-quality pictures): quick to download (.pdf, 4 pages, 500KB)
Click
here for the high quality September 2008 update. (.pdf, 4 pages, 1.2MB)
2 August
2008 - Environment Trust for Richmond upon Thames AGM: Video
The Trust's
AGM was held at the Orangery at Ham House on 19 June. The highlight
of the evening was the discussion between River Centre Patron Sir
David Attenborough and Bamber Gascoigne about the Thames, living
in Richmond, and the proposed Twickenham River Centre.
Sir David Attenborough and Bamber Gascoigne |
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Video
of the discussion of the River Centre (with contributions by
Joe Pecorelli and Angela Kidner):
Duration:
6 minutes, 30 seconds. A broadband internet connection is essential to
view this.
Technical facilities and editing kindly donated by Linkvision and Graham Skelton.
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Click
here for a brief report on the meeting.
16
June 2008 - River Centre update
Click
here for the latest River Centre brochure, with
news and the results of our survey at the public consultation
in February (.pdf, 1 page, 111KB).
15
April 2008 - Council Cabinet gives go-ahead on poolsite development
brief
Council
Website: Twickenham Riverside Regeneration (updated July
2008)
On 14 April,
the Cabinet voted unanimously to go ahead with the development brief
process for the poolsite. The draft development brief provides the
River Centre, the play area, public open space and enabling housing
development, with the majority of the parking moved from the Embankment
to the service road behind the site. Some work remains to be done
on the brief, and members of the public and some councillors expressed
concern at the massing and amount of the proposed housing: the enabling
development has to be kept to a minimum.
Nine members of the public spoke at the meeting, four from the River
Centre project team, four local residents who are generally in favour
of the development (subject to massing worries being addressed), and
one opposing. Three councillors also spoke, about the site in general,
the need to revive the town centre and fill not only the empty shops
but also the empty office space, and the educational benefits of the
River Centre for the whole community.
The Council Officer's report to the meeting is here (.pdf,
18 pages, 173KB) with appendices showing
a projected layout (.pdf, 2 pages, 159KB) and a summary
of the consultations (.pdf, 14 pages, 3.7MB, slow download).
Development Brief, May 2008 (.pdf, 74 pages, 3.39MB, slow download).
Council
press release
See also, on the LibDems' website, Twickenham
Riverside: the Council's principal development objectives
9 Mar
2008 - River Centre Sponsors
Click
here for a complete list of the sponsors for the
River Centre, including the groups and individuals who are contributing
their support and are actively involved in making the Centre
happen.
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- 17 Feb 2008 - Poolsite public consultation
The Council,
supported by the Environment Trust, held a 5-day consultation at
York House on the proposed development brief for the poolsite, followed
by a public meeting held by the Twickenham Society, the York House
Society, the River Thames Society and other amenity groups to discuss
the proposals in St Mary's Church on 18 Feb. More information on
the proposals is here on
the Council's website.
The exhibition included displays on the River Centre (for details, see
below), and a questionnaire - if you haven't completed one, please download
it here (.pdf, 2 pages, 92Kb), and give us your feedback on
what you'd like to see in the Centre.
Twickenham
River Centre conceptual sketch. To see the complete display drawing, click
here for medium-size and here
for BIG
Courtesy
Clive Chapman architects, © Clive Chapman
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What
is the River Centre? What will it offer?
- A
centre for education about the river and broader environment,
climate change and sustainability for people of all ages
and abilities, provided by Richmond Environment Network,
Thames Explorer Trust, River Thames Boat Project, Richmond's
Biodiversity Action Plan, Thames Landscape Strategy, and
other organisations.
- A
'one-stop shop' offering practical information and news about
the River Thames, sustainability and climate change, along
with exhibits by the Thames Landscape Strategy and organisations
with responsibility for the Thames, and displays giving information
on local water-based activities and clubs.
- A
hub for environmental volunteering, a home for the Environment
Trust, BTCV Richmond and Richmond Environment Network, a
base for other environmental voluntary organisations, giving
them access to mentoring, advice and equipment, and a centre
for volunteer training.
- A
home for HANDS (Help a Neighbour in Distress), a charity
providing the elderly and housebound with support and opportunities
for social interaction, and Richmond Volunteer Centre, matching
individuals willing to give their time with organisations
looking for support.
- Multipurpose
spaces for the activities of all of the above and for many
other local organisations, such as Twickenham Rowing Club,
and events, such as the Twickenham Festival, as well as a
children's playground, public toilets and a café open
to everybody.
- Permanent
displays about Twickenham's river heritage, linking it to
river-based sites in the upper Thames, such as the Henley
River & Rowing Museum, and the lower Thames, such as
the Docklands Museum.
- A
boathouse, providing public boat hire, maintenance and repair,
practical boatbuilding courses, water safety training, rowing
for the young and those with disabilities, work experience
for young people, and small boat storage, with a waterfront
pontoon to improve access to Twickenham from the river, encourage
river use and enable a ferry service linking with Richmond
and Teddington.
- All
in a flagship sustainable building, showcasing 'green' construction
methods and wider sustainability.
Below: indicative drawing of what the River Centre could look like.
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Concept
diagram of the River Centre
Courtesy
Clive Chapman Architects, © Clive Chapman |
What
could the building be like?
The above diagrams by architect
Clive Chapman's practice show how the Centre could work, using
the way the lower levels of the poolsite flood at high tides, and
the 3 metre slope on the site from the Service Road to the Embankment.
- Entrance
from the Embankment at the lower level gives access to the
boat building area, and the storage for the shallop Jubilant,
plus the kiosk for boat rental on the river, and public toilets
and changing areas for river activities.
- A
timber ramp curves around the building and leads to the next
level, the entrance lobby and exhibition space, which looks
out over the public open space and down to the river
- This
leads into the café and restaurant area, overlooking
the playground - moved into place from the far end of the
site on one side. On the other side is the education area,
two flexibly built classrooms for accommodating school parties
and teaching groups.
- Above
this, accessible by stairs or the lift, is the lookout space,
with views up and down the river.
- At
the top of the building, at the back of the site, are offices
for environmentally-related volunteering groups.
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3 Jan
2008 - Environment Trust: River Centre Update
A summary from
Angela Kidner of the Trust's work on developing the River Centre in the
last year, including the activities and facilities it will provide. Read
it here (2 pages, 88KB).
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