| Topic: | Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Thames Tunnel | |
| Posted by: | Vanessa Andrews | |
| Date/Time: | 12/10/10 15:44:00 |
| I completely agree. The tunnel is needed and there is no way round having works in our area. We can bleat about Hammersmith, but they are also planning a lot of work there, and there is no doubt that the northern side of the river is more built up than southern - there is no legitimate reason to push more into Hammersmith other than inconvenience to us. I doubt it will have as much impact as the water and gas works that have blighted Sheen and Putney for the last 2 years, and we've survived those. The key here is to make sure we get the right long term benefits out of our contribution to the project. Many a small town has got a nice library or community centre out a Tesco that was going to happen anyway. EG: - Make sure that Thames Water spend whatever it takes to do everything RIGHT, not the cheapest option possible. It is simple (but expensive) to ensure minimal impact. eg build a small wharf that can't be used at low tide (less efficient for them, less impact for us), build the access over or under the towpath (keep towpath clear, they have to spend more) etc. - Get collateral benefits - road improvements, new cycle paths, new sports pavilions, rebuild the tatty Barn Elms boat house, big investment in Wetlands Centre etc etc. Don't hold back - ask for 4 times what we'd accept, and we might end up with double. £5m on infrastructure improvements in the area would be fantastic. - Get legal commitments - no rubbish, no noise at night, no lorries at rush hour, use local businesses to provide supplies. Ask for reasonable things but make them commit and promise to publish their performance. Make it clear that the council/residents group is ready to sue them if they fail. - Organise. A local residents group that covers both Wandsworth and Richmond would get over the 'on the boundary' issue, and the fact that councillors etc will be re-elected (or not) several times over the next 10 years so will not be consistently on the case. Shout a lot about the Big Society and how local accountability means that we are entitled to scrutinise and demand transparency. Get Nick Clegg and Zac Goldsmith to say something. Not to stop it, but to make it public enough that TW will be careful and spend money on what we want, rather than on their lawyers. - Avoid seeming nimby-ish. A bit of a building site won't impact house prices, and it's a more minor project than say Imperial Wharf in Battersea (or Battersea Power Station - if anything ever happens there). Fight the arguments we can win, on grounds that most people will happily agree with, and that can make TW look good (generous to locals etc). See it as an opportunity... |