Work on an £800,000 scheme to 'green' and improve East Twickenham, which includes adding trees and widening pavements, has begun.

Residents have longer argued the area, which is at the foot of Richmond Bridge on the main route between Richmond and Twickenham, was badly in need of improvement.

The work will involve several weeks of roadworks and potential delays to people driving through the area.

Residents are looking forward to the revival of the area's appearance, which follows the opening of the 'outstanding' Deer Park primary school and a Lidl store.

Before the work was commissioned, a survey of residents found that 67per cent considered the current look of the streets was 'poor' or 'very poor'.

There was strong backing for the planned improvements with 61per cent supporting the addition of trees and greening the area.

There was also majority support for changes to the paths and entrances to roads connecting to the shopping street area.

However, the efforts to improve the area have been threatened by an application to put a 20m mobile phone mast on the pavement close to the entrance to Deer Park School. The application has drawn over 500 objections from residents, the school and local councillors.

The 'greening' of the area includes measures that will see come car parking spaces removed, which has alarmed some traders and residents.

There are concerns that drivers visiting the stores and school will attempt to park in surrounding streets, where residents are finding it increasingly difficult to park.

Separately, there are proposals to allow cyclists to travel 'the wrong way' down some one way streets in East Twickenham, which could lead to the loss of some parking spaces, and install a number of bike hangars to encourage a switch away from cars.

Local Lib-Dem councillors, James Chard and Julia Neden-Watts, have championed the improvements. Cllr Chard said: "Great to see improvement scheme underway at long last in East Twickenham.

"Proud as ward councillors to have secured investment and worked with residents & businesses on good plans involving wider pavements, raised crossovers, improved surfaces and new tree planting."

He said the key objections to the 20m phone mast and associated cabinets include visual intrusion, obstruction of a particularly busy area at the start and end of the school day, and impact on nearby trees.

The scheme is part of a wider effort to improve local centres across the borough; giving them each their own distinct character and creating an environment that locals and visitors want to come to.