On Thursday 28th May, Richmond Council Planning Committee will vote on whether to approve planning permission to build on a community garden in Sherland Road, Twickenham, despite overwhelming opposition not to include it in the sale of the garage site behind.

The Council has linked the entire site with the sale of public land at Twickenham Riverside, with the affordable housing quota being distributed on pockets of land elsewhere to allow luxury housing on the riverside.

Eighteen years ago, four trees were planted at the request of a resident and were subsequently adopted as part of the Council’s “Adopt a Tree” initiative – which now seems to count for nothing.

Residents created an extensive planted area, including a wildlife and wildflower garden. Home to over 50 species of biodiversity and stocked with bulbs, plants and shrubs, the area constantly evolves and makes a significant contribution to the local environment.

So far, residents have won eight Environmental and Community Awards, including WINNER : COMMUNITY CATEGORY in last year’s Conservation Foundation London ’s Green Corners Awards, where Tom and Julie Hill were presented with an Award by Professor David Bellamy, co-founder and President of The Conservation Foundation (pictured here).

Residents said the trees and planted area should have been the starting point for any development, not destroyed by it and have called for the plans to be rejected.

“Sherland Road is the site of one of London’s unsung gardening heroes” Libby Symon a Director of The Conservation Foundation said. “Places like this make the capital a brighter, greener and healthier place to live and work, surely there must be a way to preserve this small urban oasis?”

If planning permission is granted, not only will Richmond Council be ignoring some of its own planning policies, it will be ignoring Liberal Democrat Leader Nick Clegg’s words in July 2008 when he called for undeveloped land to be used for the community and supported the creation of spaces for communities to come together.

The Officers Report can be viewed on the Council Website Ref: (08/4195/FUL)