Kingston Council’s Infrastructure, Projects and Contracts Committee meet on Thursday 5th February to consider the Eden Quarter Development Brief.

The draft brief included the Council’s proposals:

* to pave over part of the Fairfield in order to move the Monday
Market there,

* to remove the tumbling phone boxes from Old London Rd

* to identify Eden Walk, the Old Post Office site and the Cattle
Market as suitable sites for buildings with 9+ storeys.

Local MP Edward Davey has been campaigning with local residents and local Liberal Democrat Councillors to stop the Fairfield being paved over, to keep the iconic tumbling phone boxes where they are and to limit the height of buildings in the town centre.

I moved an amendment to the draft brief that removed all reference to the Fairfield in a Development document, limited building heights to a maximum of 12 storeys and removed reference to relocating the tumbling phone boxes. Unfortuntately all Conservative Councillors and the sole Labour Councillor on the Committee defeated our proposed changes.

We will continue to fight against these proposals every step of the way.