To any Richmond or Twickers mums who use the brilliant playground at Orleans park, near Marble Hill. Lord True, leader of the Richmond council wants to knock this down and replace it with a docking area for the Queen's jubilee boat. He appears to have been working with other councillor sand Vince Cable on this plan for some time without making local residents aware.
This is not in a year or so's time, but in Autumn this year, and they are only consulting with the public about it next month.
It sounds like they will try and push it through despite objections so please please write to Lord True and Vince Cable if you use that area and don't want it to change. The plans mention a new play area being built but we do not know the scale of what they will put there- if it will be anywhere near as good as what is there now- and even if it is built will still be a long time for construction when no playground there. They also want to create a through road where it is now a cul de sac and will change this lovely quiet area forever. They have left it very late to consult in the hope they can sneak this through over the summer so please forward to any friends who are interested and email the council now. This is a vanity project for Lord True- locals love that area and it is extremely well used. It is also a conservation area, a fact which the council will happily trot out if you want to change a window in your house, but seems to be neatly forgotten by the council when they want bulldoze and destroy it.
Google Twickerati and boathouse for more details. Thanks