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Editorial
Great Things are stirring and happening in Taplow these days... While the battle for the Cliveden development is over, we are now seeing the first impact of the infrastructure changes that are needed to support that development, in the road works on Cliveden Road; we are experiencing the first stirring of the owners of Taplow Paper Mill wanting to capitalise on their investments in the riverside lands to the north of Bath Road; we are discovering what community involvement actually means in preparing the new Local Plan when we find the District Council preferring to discuss the future of Taplow with an strange unelected outfit called the Bucks Strategic Partnership rather than your elected Parish Council; the Crossrail proposals are firming up and will need to be examined for their impact on Taplow Riverside; and we have new and welcome proposals regarding the scope of the Conservation Areas in the village and the riverside settlement. This issue sees a celebration of the building of Cedar Chase more than 40 years ago with commentary from a number of folk who live or have lived there. Dr Rogers, one of the founders of your Society, was strongly opposed to the Cedar Chase project on the grounds of its inappropriate architecture in the midst of much older traditional houses. In fact, it seems to have blended in and has engendered a strong community spirit among its residents. It is a fine example of a village adapting to change rather than resisting changing demands. However, back to the future. I have just heard while writing this editorial that St Regis have actually sold the whole site to a commercial developer called Towntalk Ltd for a reported sum of about £30 million, as part of its "rationalisation" programme. This deal means the closure of the Mill around the end of October this year. The company’s Severnside waste collection site will be relocated. I have done some research on the web for some information about this company, Towntalk, but at the time of writing I can find nothing about it, save it’s also a residential property developer. It will be interesting to see how the Windrush garage comes out of this since it is part of the site and they have a lengthy lease period to run. Of late the impression I’m getting is that Windrush are digging in rather than give up the remainder of their lease.
Up to now St Regis has been going through the motions of talking to the natives to elicit their wishes for the development of this 45-acre site. The Taplow Parish Plan is very clear about how the residents of parish want to see the riverside development take place; with emphasis on protection of the Green Belt land in that area; the recreational possibilities; and the potential for declaring the whole triangle, bounded by the A4, the Thames and Jubilee rivers a Conservation Area. Additional access to the river by the public and the preservation of the footpaths are all issues to be addressed if we are not to see the whole site disappear under a tide of houses and offices. If any of you feels strongly about what kind of development you would like to see, please contact an HTPS committee member or put your ideas on to our website.
Now we have to start our discussions again with a completely unknown company – and one with no particular association with or knowledge of the parish. We have to wait and see what Towntalk has in store for us. You never know, it might all be good news! One thing is sure, the long wait for something to happen on that site is over. Or is it? Towntalk may just be wanting to sell it on rather than see the development through. Watch this space.
Fred Russell