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Subject: Another sell of public Open Space by the Lib Dems.

Author: Anthony P Berend Date: 10/25/2001 0:05 am WEDT

Following the two postings above I would refer you to my posting on 30 September on page two below - near the bottom.

The advertisement invites all residents to object to a further sell off of Public Open Space owned by the Council. ACT NOW.

My posting of 30th September letter gives a fairly detailed summary of what is envisaged on the site. The suggested letter also published on Twickenham-online was a suggested draft to be sent to the Secretary of State to call in the planning application.

The historical background can in brief be set out as follows. In the thirties after a commission of enquiry the original Green Belt was proposed. This was a band of land around London to be a limit for further development in the London suburbs. " The Lungs of London". Prior to 1948 and the Town and Country Planning Act 1947 were introduced there was little control over building and development.

The recommendations of the Commission were incorporated into law by the Green Belt 9London and Home Counties) Act 1938. In brief this gave powers to Local Authorities to purchase at Market value land in the designated area and be deed to limit development to specified uses which are mainly in the agriculture and leisure field. This act was expensive to Local Authorities and tax payers as they had to pay for the Land. The 1947 Town and Country Planning Act changed the law and allowed Planning authorities to designate land as Green Belt were development was forbidden except in materially similar areas as under the Green Belt Act 1938.

In the late thirties The Middlesex County Council and the Teddington Council Purchased a large parcel of land using 38 act powers. This land is the Fulwell Golf Club the Squires Garden Centre the adjoining residential development constructed in the early nineties The Twickenham Golf Club and the area of allotments along Six Cross Road.

On Local government in London in the early sixties the GLA was set up Middlesex CC disappeared and The London Borough of Richmond upon Thames was created. These new authorities took of the respective shares of the site. GLC 75% Richmond 25%.

The Fulwell Golf Club was in occupation of the land consisting of the current club and course and Squires and the Housing land. The remainder was a farm a small part over the Squires land the current Office building and head quarters of the Squires operation being the Farm House.

The latest lease to Fulwell was dated 1964 - a renewal of an earlier lease. In 1967 Squires took a sub-lease from the Golf Club to open a horticultural nursery on an area of surplus land from the Golf Club. Some time over 60 years ago the Teddington Council opened a municipal golf course [9 holes] which is known as Twickenham Golf Course.

In the late seventies Gladis Dimpson the Labour chairman of Housing on the GLC was looking for land to build further GLC Council Housing mainly for political purposes to change the balance of political control in the outer boroughs. The Conservative Richmond were very concerned and in 1978 opened discussions with the GLC to acquire the 75% of the land which they did not own.

At the time there were very stringent controls on capital expenditure. So it was decided to offer the land occupied by Fulwell to the Club on a long leasehold basis to cover the cost of acquisition. The negotiations took a long time the GLC's interest being acquired in 1981.

The negotiations with the Golf Club and Squires took even longer. By Feb '83 the price was agreed with Squires to acquire the whole site for Ł300,000 - including the Golf Club and to assign the golf course and club house to the club for Ł70,000. These terms were agreed by the Council in March of the same year subject to the agreement of acceptable terms of the 999 year lease.

In October'83 the Conservatives lost control to the Liberals. In November '83 the area of land occupied by Squires was under very mysterious circumstances removed from MOL status. Metropolitan Open Land [MOL] is a designation for land introduced by the Tory GlC in their Greater London Development Plan. In planning terms it is similar to Green Belt. But where Green belt is designed to limit further expansion of the Urban area MOL is designed to protect current open areas within the Town limits.

The negotiations with Squires took a further three years. No one dealing with these negotiations on behalf of the Council were ever told of the change in planning designation which happened just after the Liberals took power. In Mar '86 the land was sold under a 999 year lease for the same figure as agreed three years earlier - Ł300,000.

In 1991 Squires applied for planning permission for the current major development of a Garden Centre and the development of the Housing. Squires paid a fee to change part of the terms of their '86 lease Ł175,000. The total cost was therefore

in 1986 - Ł300,000
Less received from Golf Club - (Ł70,000)
Paid to Council in 1991/2 Ł175,000
---------
Total Ł405,000

Squires then sold the land
for the Housing to a developer
for Ł500,000

To show a profit of Ł95,000
and still retain the current area of 3.5 acres on which the Garden Centre is constructed.

It is these deals with the Lib Dem Council which are subject to an objection for under selling the land to Squires that Ken Hathaway and Ian Walton have being pressing since 1993/4. My colleagues Sos Green Nicol Gent and myself were brought in by Ken to assist in 1998. We now think that we are getting some where to bring this serious loss of public funds to the public and see that those responsible are brought to book.

In the meantime Twickenham Golf Course was still operating. Some time ago the Council handed a management contract to a local firm to manage the site. This company ran into trouble and to be honest the buildings are in a poor state of repair.

About two years ago the Council produce a brief to sell of the land to a private company on a 125 year lease with limited public access. Following a public offering two companies made bids Lloyds Leisure and Stax leisure Ltd a private company none has heard of.

Stax were selected as the preferred bidder as the building they proposed to construct was materially smaller than that proposed by Lloyds. Land is green belt and therefore under the 38 act consent is required from the Secretary of State. The advertisement refers to this application. We all have a right to object.

Many of the local residents object to the development that now totals over 75,000 sq ft and is about the size of an aircraft hanger. My 30th Sept posting sets out the planning objections. The same objects plus others can be made to this application under the 38 Act. Within a few days I will post a draft objection that I will be sending to the Secretary of State. I would ask everyone who feels like us that Public Open Space owned by the Council should not be sold of to commercial interests and our rights of access materially removed.

In addition you still have time to object to the planning application still being considered by the Secretary of State. He is currently considering to call in the application and set up a Public Enquiry. At such a public Enquiry we all would have the right to put our views on this development. Those who have not written in PLEASE DO SO NOW.

I understand that some 20/30 people have informed Twickenham-online that they have written in and with the local residents the total objections are around 50. Over 100 would be good PLEASE write to object both to the planning application and in the to the advertisement under the 38 Act. Separate letters required.

The locals will appreciate you efforts.

Anthony P Berend.

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