A public meeting has been called for Thursday, 3 July 2014 at 6.30pm in Winchester Hall, Turks Head where an action group is getting together.

By now many of you will have heard that the Council are looking to develop the site along the riverside to house the ‘Gloriana’. They require an area that can put the boat into dry dock and of three proposed areas; we have now learnt the Council favour this area alongside the playground. Luckily we have heard about it before it has gone to a public consultation stage, so we have time to act and get a working group together to fight this proposal.

We now need to all individually contact the local Councillor for the area Susan Chappell Cllr.SChappell@richmond.gov.uk to voice our objections, as well as to d.allister@richmond.gov.uk from the planning department. Though this is probably early in the process, we might as well start to get our views heard.

Other comments I think worth to include:

  • The boat is not old and a part of some historic heritage
  • Trees and natural wildlife would be effected
  • This area is totally unsuitable for more traffic, and would become a rat run if they open up the road again along the riverside
  • Twickenham is in need of massive rejuvenating why not put it there-or Hampton Court Palace where tourists visit already and it would have some significance as it was gifted to the Queen (still within the Borough of Richmond)
  • The Council can ill afford such an expensive development. Do they plan to charge people to view this boat which will be put in a structure so no-one can go aboard or touch it? Why do they think it would attract tourists anyway! It would become an expensive white elephant.
  • This very morning the road was flooded along that area because of tides
  • The local community love the area just as it is!!! We love the peace and tranquillity. The unspoilt nature of the area. The local coffee shop-not a Starbucks or Costa!

— from a local residents – Mandie Adams McGuire – adams.appeal@virgin.net and Sandra Hazlewood – sandra.hazlewood@mail.com

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