RESIDENTS who live on a UK island you can only visit twice a year have been left fuming over the council’s “no logic” parking move.
Disgruntled locals on Eel Pie Island on the River Thames, London, claim their car park is being lost for a £20million regeneration scheme which will reduce house prices.
The intimate spot in the capital is home to a variety of artists’ studios along with working boatyards and private properties which can cost up to £600,000.
And just twice a year, usually in early July and early December, residents open their home to visitors, according to Eel Pie Island Artists.
Now, Richmond Council has been given approval for a Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) for a regeneration scheme.
It’s left residents of the island grumbling over the change after the bitter planning row dragged on for years.
Office spaces, shops, a cafe, pub and restaurant and housing will be built in the area.
And it will all be built on land opposite the island with the open-air car park facing the chop.
The Twickenham Riverside Development will see the parking area turned into a public open space along the embankment, which the council said will “prioritise people over cars”.
But locals are far from happy with the move and say the nine-acre island will become more dangerous and unpopular.
Resident Helen Montgomery-Smith, 57, has campaigned against the scheme and spoken at public meetings about it.
Helen, from the Eel Pie Island Residents’ Association, told MailOnline: “I am very opposed to this scheme and so are locals on the island.
“It is such a unique spot and this scheme badly impacts that. It impacts everyday life for all of us.”
“There is no logic behind it. The public around here in their vast swathes have told us this is not on, it’s not appropriate and they do not want it.”
Along with the car park being removed, the gardens will be relocated with a new event space being built and a children’s play area, petanque pitches and terraced lawns being installed.
Meanwhile, Ryan Jenkinson also blasted the car park issue as a “massive problem”.
The 49-year-old said that the car park provides locals with spaces and is frequently used by visitors and residents alike.
Echoing Helen’s words, he said: “It’s a case of if it’s not broken then don’t fix it – there’s no logic behind getting rid of it.
“This is a beautiful area and it will be spoiled by the development. I have no doubt house prices will decrease and it will lose that special edge it had.”
Another local, who did not wish to be named, slammed the change as a “monstrous idea”.
They said that the change has seemingly been “thought up by people who don’t live here” and don’t understand their way of life.
Liberal Dem Councillor James Chard, for Twickenham Riverside, said: “Pay and display parking is available in much larger amounts across several significantly larger car parks in Twickenham.
“Residents’ parking will be reprovided across the wider controlled parking zone – there will be a net reduction in spaces, but there are enough for measured demand.
“That whole area will be more pleasant for residents as all remaining parking will be for residents so traffic volume, people looking for a pay and display space, will reduce very significantly.
“There is also a new space with ample provision for deliveries etc to Eel Pie Island (which you’ll understand is a pedestrianised island with access via a narrow footbridge only).”
Councillor Gareth Roberts, Leader of Richmond Council, said: “It has taken a long time to get to this stage, but we are delighted with the Planning Inspectorate’s decision.
“This is a crucial step in delivering something that residents have been asking for four decades; a scheme that connects the riverside with the town and acts as a magnet for both residents and visitors.
“Currently the site is dominated by a car park that doesn’t allow people to make the most of the river or to enjoy the beautiful riverside views.
“I hope that those who opposed the scheme will put their objections to one side and join with us to deliver a regenerated heart for Twickenham.”
