Campaigners vow to fight on after flat bid is rejected

9:44am Friday 5th May 2006

Campaigners in Twickenham who are determined to preserve three Victorian buildings are celebrating after planning officials rejected proposals to develop the site.

But, despite last week's announcement that the application for the old electricity works in Hamilton Road will not become reality, the campaign's figurehead has warned residents to stay vigilant.

Last Thursday, April 27, planners at Richmond upon Thames Council refused the application to redevelop of the site, which would have demolished two of the Buildings of Townscape Merit (BTM) and erected 29 flats, six work/live units and 34 car parking spaces in their place to the joy of campainers.

Cathy Cooper, a Hamilton Road resident, welcomed the news.

She said: "I think they saw many things wrong with the application. Just about every single point has something wrong with it."

A meeting held by residents in January, attended by around 80 people, saw the campaigners preparing to fight their case in front of the borough's planning committee.

Miss Cooper said: "We hope people don't think it is over. We have to keep it up.

"We think the fact that the building was put in a conservation area helps."

But Miss Cooper added: "We don't want it to just sit there with the buildings left neglected when they could be converted.

"We want it to be a place residents can feel is part of the area, at the moment it has got gates across, cutting it off.

"It would be nice to bring it into the area so everybody could enjoy it.

"It would do justice to Twickenham and the borough of Richmond upon Thames to have it converted."

The residents' campaign gained the support of all three ward councillors and Twickenham's MP Dr Vincent Cable also threw his weight behind the fight.

Cllr Douglas Orchard said: "I think it was the correct decision.

"That is why delegated powers have been given.

"The area was made a conservation area which means anything built will have to conform to the area. Residents are aware that something will be built.

"The site could be used for anything. It is not as big a site as I thought it was from the plans.

"But any additional residential units will mean additional parking and there is already an issue with parking in the area."

Planning officers refused the application on the grounds that the applicant had failed to justify the destruction of a BTM; the loss of 100 square metres of storage or workshop space was unacceptable; an adequate number of affordable units was not provided; there was a lack of planning obligation provision including education and no flood risk assessment was undertaken.