Trust sets out further CPO objection detail

In recent weeks the Twickenham Riverside Trust confirmed its intention to lodge a strong objection against the Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) made on 21 October by the London Borough of Richmond Upon Thames Council, which is targeted primarily at the Diamond Jubilee Gardens.

The Twickenham Riverside Trust was set up in 2011 following an extensive campaign by local residents (including in a petition of over 8,500 signatures presented to Downing Street) explicitly to protect and preserve the public open space on Twickenham’s riverside. A 125-year lease on a substantial part of the Diamond Jubilee Gardens (opened in 2012) was granted to the Trust in 2014. At that time, the then Leader of the Council stated that the lease was granted “in perpetuity for the people, so that never again can any other Council come forward with a plan to sell [the Gardens] off to a developer”. In October 2021, however, the Council launched a Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) in order to enable development to take place on the Gardens. In November 2021, with 118 years still remaining on its lease, the Trust submitted its Objections to the CPO to the relevant Secretary of State’s office. The Trust has now published its CPO Objections and their appendices which you can find in full here The full list of published documents include

• The Trust's overarching objection to the Council's CPO

• The Trust's objection to the acquisition of public open space using Section 19 of the Acquisition of Land Act 1981 as proposed under the Council's CPO.

• There are then an additional seven appendices relating specifically to the Objection to the Acquisition of Public Open Space, but also to support the Objection to the Compulsory Purchase Order. These are: 1 Trust's demise within the Diamond Jubilee Gardens 2 Order Land Council Finance Committee 20.9.2021 3 Overlay of Order Land on Existing Gardens (plots 63 and 76) 4A Flood Zones Planning Application Design & Access Statements 4B Flood Zones Planning Application Design & Access Statements 6 Examples of events in existing Gardens (photos/posters) 7 Planning Application ‘Daylight, Sunlight and Overshadowing Report’ - External Amenity Areas The Trust has also published a summary and more information about all of this and other general information about what we do in our 'More Information' section here. Twickenham Riverside Trust Chair, Luke Montgomery-Smith said: "We have set out clearly via our submission that we were left with no choice but to contest the Council's regrettable CPO and this fulfils our duties to protect public open space. "Regardless of this ongoing legal process, our intention is to continue negotiating with the Council to try and reach an agreement for the disposal of the land which ensures that, at the very least, the overall amount and quality of public open space currently enjoyed by the public on Twickenham riverside will be available to all in the redevelopment.