A planning application to develop Twickenham Riverside – designed to create a new heart for the town – has been lodged by Richmond Borough Council.

The scheme involves the demolition of buildings on the approach to the riverside and the removal of parking. Two new blocks will be constructed to offer a mix of housing, retail, offices, a café, pub and children's playground.

Critics say the site includes too little green and public space, while many argue the land should be used for the creation of an open air swimming pool to reflect the area was home to Twickenham Lido from 1935 until 1980.

Here, Lib-Dem Twickenham Riverside councillor, James Chard, makes the case for approving the scheme.

Councillor James Chard.

More than 40 years ago, the swimming baths on Twickenham's riverside closed for "refurbishment". They never reopened. In the intervening decades, one of the most potentially beautiful spots on the tidal Thames, which should be a fantastic asset for the people of Twickenham, has been allowed to go to waste due to political bickering and penny-pinching.

Generations of families have grown up knowing only a site area dominated by cars and boarded-up dereliction. That is a shameful waste, and has to end now.

When Julia Neden-Watts, Roger Crouch and I were first elected as Lib Dem councillors here in Twickenham Riverside ward we, together with incoming Council leader Gareth Roberts, made a clear commitment to the people of Twickenham. We would allow the Royal Institute for British Architects to manage a fair, open design competition with a brief that properly reflected what the public had said in repeated consultations regarding the site, and we would commit the funds necessary to make it happen.

We are proud to be keeping that promise, and that the pre-planning consultation earlier in the year strongly endorse the proposals, with three-quarters of respondents saying the plans met the aims we had set out. The message from the public is overwhelming – "let's get it done!" We wholeheartedly agree.

The plans for Twickenham's riverside which have been submitted for planning permission include enlarged and vastly improved pedestrianised space all the way down to the river, attractive terraced gardens and tree planting, a new play area, and a riverside activity area with paddleboard storage and pontoon.

With the existing Diamond Jubilee Gardens getting a bigger site and moving slightly to the east, and a significantly widened Water Lane, the whole area will feel much more connected to the rest of the town. That connection to the rest of Twickenham is vital.

Church Street, which we pedestrianised last year, is a shining example of how town centres thrive as safe, attractive, and active places where families can really enjoy spending quality time together. We want to extend and complement that success with a riverside area that has the facilities to host a wide range of events throughout the year including markets, fairs, and outdoor theatre and music. Doing so will provide a boost for the existing independent traders who are a much-loved part of the Twickenham community.

The buildings on the site will be 'mixed use' meaning they will include some offices and commercial units, as well as community use space and homes. That brings activity to the site throughout the day, addressing some of the crime and anti-social behaviour that has unfortunately been seen in the past.

Half the homes will be affordable, rather than sold at the market prices that we all know are very high here.

Some people have quite fairly asked exactly what this means as there are a complex range of types of property which is labelled 'affordable'. Of the 21 such homes, four will be made available on a shared ownership basis, but the vast majority (17) will be managed by a local housing association and rented to those in housing need on a housing association waiting list.

They will be priced at what is known as London Affordable Rent levels, well below market rents and within the price range of key workers such as teachers and police officers, for example.

We all know affordable homes in Twickenham are hard to come by for younger people in particular and I believe most people locally will warmly welcome the fact that this scheme makes a positive contribution for those in housing need.

Transport and parking are inevitably contentious issues, and some will miss the convenience of having a sizeable car park on the immediate riverside. But the vast majority of the public in Twickenham have made clear that they want to end the dominance of parking in that area, and there is unfortunately a degree of scaremongering regarding pedestrianisation.

An appropriate delivery and servicing area beside the footbridge is a key feature of the plans to meet the needs of residents and businesses on Eel Pie Island, and huge amounts of work have been down by Council officers on redesignation and reprovision of parking bays in the nearby area to ensure sufficient residents' parking in that part of Twickenham.

As for pay and display, Twickenham has several existing car parks including two (Holly Road and Arragon Road) with a far greater capacity than the space being pedestrianised.

Sadly, Conservatives locally have chosen to side with the tiny minority who want to pile yet more delay on top of the 40 years that has already been frittered away. One Conservative councillor at a recent Council meeting opined that any investment in the site was "wasted on Twickenham Riverside", while another said that "not a penny more" should be spent. As Lib Dem councillors and a Lib Dem administration, we side with the vast majority in Twickenham who want to get this done without delay.

Let's turn a neglected area dominated by cars into a fantastic place to spend time enjoying Twickenham's riverside.