The Environment, Sustainability, Culture and Sports Committee convened to discuss several key issues, including the adoption of the Richmond upon Thames Local Plan, flood resilience work at Barnes Green, and updates to the sport, leisure, and physical activity strategy. The committee agreed to recommend the adoption of the Richmond upon Thames Local Plan to the full council, approved flood resilience work at Barnes Green, and endorsed the year two action plan for the sport, leisure and physical activity strategy.

Here's a more detailed look at the topics covered:

Adoption of the Richmond upon Thames Local Plan

The committee agreed to recommend that the full council adopt the Richmond upon Thames Local Plan 2024-2039¹, incorporating main and additional modifications. The Local Plan is a key document that sets out the council's policies and aspirations for future development, addressing challenges such as climate change, health, affordability and liveability. Adam Hutchings, Spatial Planning and Design Team Manager, explained that the plan had been found sound, with the inclusion of main modifications, following an examination in public. The inspectors' report was published on 19 August 2025.

Clive Chapman spoke on behalf of the residents of Eel Pie Island, expressing concerns about policy M44 and the definition of flood zone 3B, fearing it could stifle new development on the island. He requested reassurance that the island's unique circumstances would be considered in future planning applications.

Officers responded, clarifying that the council's position towards the island had not altered and that the functional floodplain identification took local circumstances into account. They confirmed that the council's approach to planning applications would not change as a result of the new local plan.

The committee also approved a work programme to update the Local Validation Checklist and several Supplementary Planning Documents (SPDs) to support the implementation of the new Local Plan. These include updates to the Planning Obligations SPD, the Affordable Housing SPD, the Sustainable Construction Checklist SPD, a new Domestic Retrofit guide SPD, an update of the Transport SPD, an update of the draft Local Views SPD, and new Biodiversity and Trees SPDs.

Barnes Green Flood Resilience Work

The committee approved the proposed flood resilience work at Barnes Green and agreed to continue supporting the Community BlueScapes partnership in the Beverley Brook catchment.

Henry Chung introduced the Community BlueScapes paper, explaining that the project is a partnership between Richmond Council, Barnes Common Limited (BCL) and the Wetlands charity WWT. He noted that the project aims to improve flood resilience, build a connected community, and create evidence for future investment in nature-based solutions.

Several public speakers addressed the committee, raising concerns and offering support for the scheme.

Adrian Webster expressed initial scepticism about the scheme's small scale and poor communication but acknowledged the need for flood mitigation and the value of small steps. He called for better communication with residents.

Rob Grey, advisor to Barnes Common Limited, highlighted the vulnerability of Barnes to flooding and the benefits of the scheme in creating a diverse new area of biodiversity.

Dr Christopher Wyche raised concerns about a lack of transparency, inadequate consultation, and the potential harm to the local green space.

Shirley Hughes questioned the justification for the project and its impact on community space.

Paul Roberts expressed concerns about the project's optics in light of other pressing needs in the community.

Charles Campion spoke in favour of the proposal, emphasising the extensive community engagement undertaken by Barnes Common and Community Blue Scapes.

John McNeely, chair of the Barnes Community Association, supported the project, highlighting the escalating threat of flooding in Barnes and the importance of protecting Barnes Green.

In response to the points raised, officers clarified that the cost of the project is £150,000, not £2 million, and that the new channel will take up about 1% of Barnes Green. They also addressed concerns about the channel becoming a muddy ditch, stating that it will still have water flows and will be managed to prevent muddiness.

Councillor Fiona Sacks declared an interest as a Barnes Ward councillor and offered to work with residents to improve communication about the project.

The committee also discussed flood resilience measures in the Castelnau estate, tree planting plans, and the need for clearer communication about the project.

Sport, Leisure and Physical Activity Strategy Update

The committee noted the progress made in year one of the Richmond Moves for a Healthier Borough strategy 2024-2029 and endorsed the year two action plan and its key performance indicators.

Councillor Alan Juriansz, Vice-Chair, highlighted the launch of the fairer access scheme, the community sport and physical activity network, and planned investments in local facilities.

Mark Fisher, interim head of leisure and contracts, and other officers presented the report, outlining achievements in year one and the action plan for year two. Key highlights included the growth of the fairer access scheme, the launch of the women and girls working group, and investments in Active Hampton and other facilities.

Ravi Aurora, director of multicultural Richmond and chair of Richmond C-SPAN, spoke about the network's goals and activities, emphasising the importance of partnership, collaboration, and community engagement.

Councillor Elizabeth Gant asked about the demographic breakdown of the fairer access scheme and the timeline for activities at Active Hampton.

Councillor Chas Warlow commented on the importance of prevention and how money spent now will save on money which would be spent later in the event of disaster.

Q1 Quarterly Monitoring Report

The committee noted the quarter one quarterly monitoring report, which indicated a projected overspend of £466,000, mainly due to increased waste disposal costs.

Alex Moylan, assistant director for finance and performance, explained that the overspend was primarily due to the net cost of disposing of dry mixed recycling. He noted that the council is taking steps to improve the efficiency of waste collection and encourage residents to recycle properly.

Committee Work Programme

The committee agreed to the committee work programme, with the addition of the draft West London Waste Plan and the possibility of work being done on the Richmond town centre toilet.