“Action not dereliction” is the message from the Riverside Action Group (RAG) to Twickenham residents as the final consultation for a new town “heart” draws to a close.

For two years Richmond Council has been consulting with residents on its latest plans to revamp the Riverside- some have been widely rejected while others approved.

RAG, made up of the Riverside Trust, the Eel Pie Island Association and the Twickenham Riverside Village Group, formed to campaign against the original design put forward by the council and wanted to “positively engage” to create a community approved space.

Richmond and Twickenham Times: An arial view of the proposed site

Celia Holman of Twickenham Riverside Village Group said: “From March 2016 there were eight to ten of us out on the street, all fully briefed, speaking to the community to find out what they wanted.”

The group got the 1,000 signatures needed to present to the council with a ‘community brief’, a summary of what they learned from residents.

Ms Holman said: “The biggest issue for people was public open space.”

The council has since doubled the open space it originally proposed for the site.

Along with the lack of the open space, RAG went to the council with three main issues of contention.

The council had proposed a service road connecting through to the historic water lane, which was widely opposed.

Residents wanted a walkway, not a road for service vehicles, from Water Lane through to Jubilee Gardens.

They also wanted steps leading up from the river to buildings that were designed “in keeping” with the area- not the widely opposed Regency-era inspired designs originally proposed by architect Francis Terry.

Along with this, the group has fought for pedestrian access to the site along Water Lane, allowing for a better view of the Riverside.

Richmond and Twickenham Times: Proposed view from King Street

Susan Burningham, chairwoman of RAG, said: “We had a community brief and the latest proposals fulfil it.

“The council has listened to us and I applaud them for that.”

A problem for some that the council has not budged on is parking- respondents have consistently said there are too many spaces proposed.

Community group Twickenham Riverside Park Team argue parking should be removed from the Riverside and proposed an underground carpark be built under the site.

RAG argues the expense of this would be too great, and that they hoped the number of spaces could be reduced as time went on.

Richmond and Twickenham Times: Proposed view from Jubilee Gardens

As the end date for the consultation approaches, Dr Burningham warned that if the land is not developed soon the London Mayor “could swoop in” and bid to build on it.

She said this would leave residents “without a say”- the site is brownfield land, Jubilee Gardens the only protected part.

Ms Holman urged residents to look closely at the plans and have their say while there is still time.

She said: “If we didn’t believe in these plans we would be the first to kick them to the curb.

“We could be facing long term dereliction.

“This can no longer be an issue to be batted between political parties.

“Residents want something to happen.

“Everything we brought to the table has been put in this plan- the council has listened.

“There is a community responsibility to make this happen.

“It’s been a long journey but we’re nearly at the finish line.”

Residents can view the designs online or at an exhibition in the Clarendon Hall, York House, on October 26 from 6pm to 8.30pm.

The consultation ends on October 30, to have your say go here.