Policy information sourced from Richmond Upon Thames Local Plan

LP 18 River corridors

The natural, historic and built environment of the River Thames corridor and the various watercourses in the borough, including the River Crane, Beverley Brook, Duke of Northumberland River, Longford River and Whitton Brook, will be protected. Development adjacent to the river corridors will be expected to contribute to improvements and enhancements to the river environment.

Thames Policy Area

Development proposals within the Thames Policy Area should respect and take account of the special character of the reach as set out in the Thames Landscape Strategy and Thames Strategy as well as the Council’s Conservation Area Statements, and where available Conservation Area Studies, and/or Management Plans.

Developments alongside and adjacent to the River Thames should ensure that they establish a relationship with the river, maximise the benefits of its setting in terms of views and vistas, and incorporate uses that enable local communities and the public to enjoy the riverside, especially at ground level in buildings fronting the river.

Public Access

All development proposals alongside or adjacent to the borough’s river corridors should:

  • Retain existing public access to the riverside and alongside the river; and
  • Enhance existing public access to the riverside where improvements are feasible; or
  • Provide new public access to the riverside where possible, and maintain existing points of access to the foreshore subject to health and safety considerations. There is an expectation that all major development proposals adjacent to the borough’s rivers shall provide public access to the riverside.
  • Provide riparian life-saving equipment where required and necessary.

River Thames public riverside walk

All development proposals adjoining the River Thames are required to provide a public riverside walk, including for pedestrians and cyclists, which will contribute to the overarching aim of providing a continuous publicly accessible riverside walk. For major developments, applicants will be expected to work with adjoining landowners in case ownership issues would prevent public access.

Riverside uses, including river-dependent and river-related uses

The Council will resist the loss of existing river-dependent and river-related uses that contribute to the special character of the River Thames, including river-related industry (B2) and locally important wharves, boat building sheds and boatyards and other riverside facilities such as slipways, docks, jetties, piers and stairs.

This will be achieved by:

  • resisting redevelopment of existing river-dependent or river-related industrial and business uses to non-river related employment uses or residential uses unless it can be demonstrated that no other river-dependent or river-related use is feasible or viable;
  • ensuring development on sites along the river is functionally related to the river and includes river-dependent or river-related uses where possible, including gardens which are designed to embrace and enhance the river, and be sensitive to its ecology;
  • requiring an assessment of the effect of the proposed development on the operation of existing river-dependent uses or riverside gardens on the site and their associated facilities on- and off-site; or requiring an assessment of the potential of the site for river-dependent uses and facilities if there are none existing;
  • ensuring that any proposed residential uses, where appropriate, along the river are compatible with the operation of the established river-related and river-dependent uses;
  • requiring setting back development from river banks and existing flood defences along the River Thames.

For more information please see the Local Plan