The council will take a ‘fresh’ look at future options for the Elleray Hall building, Cllr Michael Wilson confirmed this week.

Elleray Hall is a popular daytime social centre for older residents in Teddington.

Last year, Richmond Council held a consultation on proposals for a possible new community hub in the area.

This included early discussions with local service providers - RAID, RUILS - and Teddington Older People’s Welfare Association that manages Elleray Hall.

The consultation and engagement showed that whilst there was a need for an review of the Elleray Hall facilities, early findings of the feasibility study were not fully aligned with the needs of the local community.

Cllr Wilson confirmed during a council meeting that therefore the original proposal will not go ahead, and the council will start seeking a fresh perspective on new facilities for Elleray Hall.

At the same time, the council is looking to commission a feasibility study to look at the North Lane East Car Park and the former depot site in Teddington, to consider options for a possible rebuild of Elleray Hall.

The building is now reaching the end of its useful life and is becoming increasingly expensive to maintain for the current occupiers.

Whilst this is early days in the process, should there be any future proposals for Elleray Hall and the North Lane East Car Park, the council will hold a timely and meaningful consultation with stakeholders and the wider community.

Cllr Wilson said: “We heard loud and clear that the proposals for a Community Hub in Teddington was not a popular proposal with the organisations involved or the wider community.

"This is why we are taking a fresh approach.

“We also know that the facilities for the older people who use Elleray Hall are not entirely fit for purpose.

"We need to think about how we develop a purpose-built centre for the 21st century that can adapt to the changing needs of service users and the community.

“I will continue to liaise with users of Elleray Hall and the local community through the process and ensure that any future, viable proposal is subject to a full and meaningful local consultation."