A Space for People, Not Cars

We'd like cars to be removed from Twickenham Riverside in order to create a beautiful Riverside Park and Town Square.

Above is a concept design of what can be achieved on Twickenham Riverside. Its main features are a central Town Square and Riverside Park with great pedestrian and cycle links to King Street, Water Lane and Wharf Lane and beyond. 

The buildings shown are indicative of what's possible. We'd like to see a landmark building on the corner of King Street to draw people's attention to the riverside. The other buildings would include cafés, a restaurant, boathouses, community space (for information, exhibitions, gallery), limited retail and residential, and possibly a small hotel and/or a lido. We'd also intend to increase the size of the playground.

It'll be an amazing attraction, one that Twickenham desperately needs to complement the unique Arcadian riverside location and views. It will be a place that  draws the community and visitors to the centre of Twickenham, not just for the beautiful setting, but also for all the activities that will take place in and around the square and park.

Cars could be parked under the town square taking ALL the cars away from the riverside. Off-site parking options should also be considered.

We'd like the Council to reconsider its approach to the Riverside site and to reintroduce what it promised us more than two years ago, namely a Town Square and a pedestrianised Riverside Park (with no riverfront road). 

Please sign our petition if this is what you'd like to see: a space for people, not cars.

#ParkNotCarPark

twickriversidepark@gmail.com

Background Information

In the Council's All in One and Barefoot Consultations residents said they wanted a town square and to move cars away from the riverside.

In the Council's November 2015 consultation they promised us 'A New Town Square for Twickenham'. They also promised that 'parking will be removed from the Embankment in front of Diamond Jubilee Gardens to enhance views of the river', and 'there will be underground parking provided beneath the new development'. They presented a Francis Terry proposal with a pedestrianised Riverside. We welcomed the removal of the road and parking from the riverfront, but not the inappropriate size and style of the buildings.

Unfortunately, in the Summer 2017 consultation they did a u-turn and proposed leaving all the parking on the riverside (85 spaces), and adding another 50 parking spaces under the new development. This would obviously result in much increased traffic along the Embankment, as well as continuing to blight the views of the river.

In July twickerati did an online poll about parking on the Embankment. 73% of people wanted to 'Find an Alternative Solution'.

The results of the Council's Summer 2017 consultation showed that 66% of people Disagreed with the Council's parking proposal (52% Strongly). In the press release the Council said they had listened to residents, but also stated that 'Parking in this area is outside the site boundary for the planning application for proposals on the riverside'. The goalposts had moved, and that led to us forming our #ParkNotCarPark team.