TolworTh observer

The story of Tolworth: a snapshot

by bob Phillips and Pat ward, local residents and historians

Did you know that Tolworth has a very long history? Did you know that it existed (as Talworth) over a thousand years ago and is listed in the Domesday Book of 1086. Tolworth is the home of modern history too - David Bowie launched his Ziggy Stardust extravaganza here. It was also the location of an important manor house, owned by the Queen.

Historically we were not part of Kingston, but of Surrey, much closer to Ewell. Our manor house, 'Tolworth Court' was on the most important north-south road, in the days when Kingston had the only bridge west of London. Anyone who travelled between the royal palaces of Hampton Court and Nonsuch (Henry VIII's most important palace) came past our manor. No wonder that Tolworth Court was owned by major figures like Hugh

Despenser (an evil chap: the cause of a war in his name in 1321); after him by Queen Isabella; and before him by the Constable of Guildford Castle. the ownership of our manor goes back to Richard de Clare, who came from Normandy at the time of the invasion, and whose father was the guardian of the orphan who became William the Conqueror.

Tolworth Court was the centre locally for running the county and the law. We were a very important place in the Middle Ages, but never a town - just a hamlet of less than 250 souls, with our manor and three big farms. Now imagine what might have happened if that important hamlet and centre had grown into a town, with a real town centre to support the community.

It didn't, because in 1837 the railway came to Surbiton, and thanks to the imagination and energy of a chap called Thomas Pooley, and the efforts of Coutts Bank, Surbiton became our first railway commuter suburb, and all subsequent development in Tolworth was really a side-effect of that. Even our first church, St Matthew's, was located in Surbiton!

(Continued on page 4)

Free OCTOber 2017A TolworTh AreA PlAn ProducTion

Annex 2

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introductionThe Royal Borough of Kingston has commissioned an Area Plan for Tolworth, in collaboration with the General London Authority (GLA) and Transport for London (TfL).

This newspaper is a collection of ideas about Tolworth, gathered during a series of early engagement events for the Tolworth Area Plan. It includes contributions from local residents, historians and community project leaders who provide their opinions, stories and information about local activities and projects.

This collation of ideas has been fed into the development of the Tolworth Area Plan, which aims to inspire new initiatives capable of delivering physical, social and economic improvements in Tolworth. The vision for the future described in the Tolworth Area Plan will help people to understand Tolworth’s potential development capacity, guide future development, provide responses to proposals for large development sites, and inform future business cases for new transport infrastructure.

We will shortly be launching a public consultation on the draft Tolworth Area Plan and we want to know what you think. To register for project updates and notification f the consultation programe, please visit www.kingstonconversations.co.uk/Tolworth-Area-Plan

The Tolworth Area Plan study boundary in context.

AboutArchitects and urban designers We Made That have been appointed to deliver the Tolworth Area Plan. The practice have led a team of urban experts, featuring Regeneris, property advisors Aspinall Verdi, planning policy experts Tibbalds and transport input from Arup.

Viv Evans, Head of Planning and Regeneration at the RoyalBorough of Kingston upon Thames, said: “As well as providing guidance for future developments it (Tolworth Area Plan) will set out a comprehensive regeneration strategy, building on its strengths whilst identifying areas for improvement within Tolworth. The Council will be taking this opportunity to engage with the local community including residents, businesses and developers to get their views on what makes Tolworth unique, and what changes they would like to see as part of this exciting project.”

The Tolworth Observer is a newspaper, which will inform local residents and businesses about the Tolworth Area Plan and associated events. George Newton, an MA graphic design student at Kingston University, has designed the newspaper.

© All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without prior permission in writing from the editors. Every possible effort has been made to locate and credit copyright holders of the material reproduced in this publication. The views expressed in this paper are those of the individual authors and do not represent opinions of the editors or funders of the project.

The Tolworth Area Plan will contain:

• a review of Tolworth as it is today • a vision which Tolworth should aspire to • a set of guiding principles to achieve this vision • opportunities for development and improvement in the short, medium and long term • a transformation framework that sets out potential routes to realising these opportunities and achieving the agreed future vision • a summary of how public engagement has informed the Tolworth Area Plan

The aims of the Tolworth Area Plan are:

• to present a vision for Tolworth’s future • to identify areas for strategic intervention by the council, Greater London Authority (GLA), Transport for London (TfL) and other partners • to identify opportunities for change, development and improvement in the short, medium and long term • to present ideas that illustrate how Tolworth’s existing assets and structures can be strengthened • to inform the emerging Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames Local Plan

Tolworth

A3

A3

Alexandra Park

Malden Manor

surbiton

berrylands

Motspur Park

stoneleigh

ewell west

chessington south

chessington north

hogsmillnature reserve

surbiton Golf course

hampton courtPark

horton ParkGolf club

hogsmillopen space Merton and

suttoncemetery

what we heard so far...These are some of the comments from local people that have come through the early engagement process:

“Motivate local residents to stay active and healthy and avoid having to drive to the next nearest gym. help reduce congestion and pollution. i am half way between The river club and Tolworth recreation centre, both of which are not easily reached by walking. it would be ideal to have a centre nearby that allows us to stay active and healthy and build a stronger community.”

soran

“i think it would be really great to develop a community centre / hall for Tolworth. we have a fantastic sense of community here but not too many options for convening / holding events / concerts etc.”

emma

“swimming pool/leisure centre - this would be a massive boost to the facilities in the area and south area of Kingston and the number 1 wish”

ben

“empty shops are of no benefit to anyone. with reduced rates targetted in areas that need it, and support for businesses with community benefit, our high street would offer a greater variety of outlet, better community facilities and fewer boarded up shop fronts.”

laurence

“connect the Tolworth greenway to King charles road to make it easier for cyclists to access and sort out the bumpy surface” Tamsin

“Planting many more trees may help - re introducing the tree line boulevard for stretches of the A 3 may also help. introducing some low emission regulations on local businesses too, especially the new ones being attracted into the area. improve the bus connections, and find some Green space in the centre of Tolworth to create a community space away from the main road.”

david

“Protect the bowling alley from being lost to housing. Maybe encourage redevelopment to improve and include other leisure facilities. cinema?”

ian

“if we are to develop Tolworth it is worth considering the traffic flow as there will be more traffic as we build more houses and will attract more people move in into this area.”

charles

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…Continued from Page 1

The railway came early, and the enclosure of common land around here came late. And we were in the middle of an awful lot of common land at 1900: Tolworth Common, Kingston Common and Surbiton Common were all around us. Tolworth did not really benefit from the enclosures – we did not have the investment in modern farming that some parts of England had. It was too late for that.

Instead, what we had in Tolworth by then, and for a couple of hundred years before, was absentee landlords – of the manor, until it disappeared, and of our big farms. Some really impor-tant families, like the Evelyns. By the time that the land was “enclosed” and allocated to landowners, it was these big absen-tees who mostly profited – the Polhill family was the important one between 1820 and 1860.

The development after enclosure and then the coming of the railway to Surbiton and then the establishment of St. Matthew’s Church made us more and more of an adjunct to our northern neighbours. And then, what seems now to be a cruel slice across our town, severing north from south: the Kingston By-pass came in 1927; later sunk into an underpass, and now the A3 trunk-road.

The centre of our town is still in the same place as it always was: around the Broadway. Now we have another church, St. George’s, with a hall and land, just by the centre of our town.

It would be a wonderful “repair” of history and continuity if we could build that into a thriving centre again, not sliced about by motor vehicles, but a place to gather and “be” the town. Perhaps, so many years after Surbiton Railway Station changed our history, we can resume the development of Tolworth as a thriving community, as a town; or at least a suburb in its own right.

You can purchase a copy of The Story of Tolworth, by Pat Ward with Bob Phillips, Broomfield Press, 2015, for £8.50 Email bob.philllips@blueyonder.co.uk, or visit the History Centre in Kingston’s Guildhall or at Tolworth Community Library, in Ewell Road, both of which keep copies in stock.

Tolworth does have a rich cultural heritage of music, sports and leisure, which could offer ingredients to define ‘Tolworth-ness’ and opportunity for future change. This includes a unique history of local football culture established by the Corinthian Casuals Football Club, who are known worldwide for their historic connection with the successful Brazilian team Corinthian Paulista, as well as a range of popular leisure uses.

The cultural timeline above illustrates key recent historical events that either played a significant part in the development of Tolworth or contributed to its cultural identity. This ranges from the introduction of Tolworth Tower in 1963 to David Bowie launching his Ziggy Stardust tour in the Toby Jug pub in1972.

1991 Relaunch of Tolworth Tower after its refurbishment.

1927

1927 Opening of the KingstonBy-Pass that better connects Tolworth and provides a new location for commercial development.

1935

1920-1935 Period of major road and house building on previous farm and common land.

1950

1934 Opening of the Odeon Cinemaon the site of what is now the Tolworth Tower.

1938 Opening of Tolworth Station.

1958

1936 Opening of Tolworth Broadway; 57 shops built with residential units above.

Pre-1930s

Prior to the 1930s, Tolworth remains a primarily agricultural area, with dairy farming as a main activity.

19631968

19781991

2003 2010 and

onwards

1950 Toby Jug building is host to government offices of Ministry of Defence and Ministry of Agriculture. Government employment on the site diminished until closure in 1971.

1958 Construction of Our Lady Immaculate church completed.

1961 Odeon Cinema demolished to make way for Tolworth Tower.

1963 Under the Greater London Council, the boroughs of Kingston, Malden & Coombe, and Surbiton (which includes Tolworth) become the new Royal Borough of Kingston Upon Thames.

1963 Opening of the Tolworth Tower designed by Richard Seifert.

1968 The Toby Jug pub opens as a music venue. David Bowie kicks off the Ziggy Stardust tour in 1972. The pub was demolished in the early 2000s

1969 Tolworth Hospital, historically an isolation hospital for infectious diseases becomes a general hospital. It is today mainly a mental health hospital servicing South West London

1978 Opening of Tolworth Recreation Centre.

2003 Radio Jackie acquires licensing and moves into Tolworth studios.

2005 Opening of Travelodge inside the Tolworth Tower.

2013 The Greenway put in place in Tolworth town Centre.

Variety of sites awaiting redevelopment in Tolworth

1855-1965 Tolworth is part of the municipal borough of Surbiton, which is located within the County of Surrey.

1963 London Government Act.Creation of the Greater London Council (GLC) (abolished in 1986). Tolworth is integrated within Greater London

2000 Formation of the Greater London Authority

2011 Localism Act

2012 Kingston Core Strategy

1986-2000 Responsibilities of GLC divided between central government, boroughs and new london-wide bodies

2010 Tolworth Regeneration strategy

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i worked in chessington estate before i lived in Tolworth and i did not know it was in Tolworth!

some student housing and sports could be a positive outcome

i didn’t know Kingston university sports Ground was here!

An indoor facility is needed, this side of the borough currently lacks a sports centre

Kingston university sports Grounds are well used by local cricket and football clubs seven days a week

could there be more public access here?

entrances to the open space could be improved

nowhere for visitors to park cars – mainly used by locals as a consequence

A Tolworth Park could be a regional asset - it’s a great opportunity to develop a distinctive identity for Tolworth - willen lake Milton Keynes provides a useful example

increase in buy to let has been dramatic - it’s now a transient population and community spirit has been eroded

sunray is surrounded by barriers (road, rail and river), but we residents like this

red lion road is dangerous and busy, owing to big lorries from the industrial area and has an impact upon the residential community

A significant amount of employment space has already been lost owing to permitted development rights

schools create a lot of pedestrian traffic

need more A3 crossings

There could be more space for small business and workshops

could there be a bus connection from chessington industrial estate to Tolworth station?

hard paths would ruin the open space

The hogsmill river is an asset linking the area all the way to surrey

The station needs to be improved - this could be done with a new coat of paint and some planting

The severance the A3 creates must be solved

how can people in King George’s Gate safely get to Knollmead Primary school? where will they shop?

new street furniture is not well used -a the volume of traffic makes sitting outside unappealing

30 minutes free parking has been a real success - increasing this to 2 hours would be even better

is there a town centre? broadway/ewell road junction at esso Garage is unsafe particularly as children are frequently crossing at this point

headmasters Academy attracts a lot of young people to broadway taking hairdressing courses

broadway needs zebra crossings! uncontrolled crossings are dangerous

Trains remain stationary for a long period and are very noisy

The Greenway works in improving connections, particularly for cyclists

Parks are an opportunity for training young locals

I worked in Chessington Estate before I lived in Tolworth and I did not know it was in Tolworth!

Some student housing and sports could be a positive outcome

I didn’t know Kingston University Sports Ground was here!

An indoor facility is needed, this side of the borough currently lacks a sports centre

Kingston University Sports Grounds are well used by local cricket and football clubs seven days a week

Could there be more public access here?

Entrances to the open space could be improved

Nowhere for visitors to park cars – mainly used by locals as a consequence

A Tolworth Park could be a regional asset - it’s a great opportunity to develop a distinctive identity for Tolworth - Willen Lake Milton Keynes provides a useful example

Increase in buy to let has been dramatic - it’s now a transient population and community spirit has been eroded

Sunray is surrounded by barriers (road, rail and river), but we residents like this

Red Lion Road is dangerous and busy, owing to big lorries from the industrial area and has an impact upon the residential community

A significant amount of employment space has already been lost owing to permitted development rights

Schools create a lot of pedestrian traffic

Need more A3 crossings

There could be more space for small business and workshops

Could there be a bus connection from Chessington Industrial Estate to Tolworth Station?

Hard paths would ruin the open space

The Hogsmill River is an asset linking the area all the way to Surrey

The Station needs to be improved - this could be done with a new coat of paint and some planting

The severance the A3 creates must be solved

How can people in King George’s Gate safely get to Knollmead Primary School? Where will they shop?

New street furniture is not well used -a the volume of traffic makes sitting outside unappealing

30 minutes free parking has been a real success - increasing this to 2 hours would be even better

Is there a town centre? Broadway/Ewell Road junction at Esso Garage is unsafe particularly as children are frequently crossing at this point

Headmasters Academy attracts a lot of young people to Broadway taking hairdressing courses

Broadway needs zebra crossings! Uncontrolled crossings are dangerous

Trains remain stationary for a long period and are very noisy

The Greenway works in improving connections, particularly for cyclists

Parks are an opportunity for training young locals

ewell road

A3

Tolworthstation

A240

Tolworth broadway

Kingston universitysports Ground

riverhillestate

hogsmill nature reserve

chessington industrial estate (sil)

red lion business Park

Tolworth hospital

red lion road

King George’sField

hogsmillopen space

what you’ve told us so farA summary of the feedback received during the early engagement events.

A3

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So what will SHEDx do:

• We will repair and rewire the shed to make it suitable for growing, teaching and demonstrations • We will create new raised planters from recycled materials for demonstrations and community growing • We will trial Aquaponics to prove their potential value to the local community • We will create mobile sheds to put into the community to help create events to ‘green’ our area • We will research the history of allotments in Tolworth to help remind us of our rich past • We will work with Kingston University to help vision what the future of allotments and sheds might be • We hope local schools will take the Suburban Farming project into school grounds

shedx projectby robin hutchinson, The community brain

The Community Brain is going to launch a suburban farming project to try to ensure that any new or existing ‘public space’ in the Tolworth has potential to generate food and community activity for the local area. We recently took over the abandoned Tolworth Allotments Society building and surroundings with the aim of helping our local communities to explore suburban farming, learn food growing, and build productive, sustainable sources of locally produced food.

Tolworth faces a period of significant regeneration with Crossrail 2, major planning applications and ambitions for the A3, which are bringing a new focus on this previously overlooked part of the borough. We want the local community and not just developers to feel the benefits.

The little-known but fascinating, rural history of Tolworth belies its current, neglected suburban feel. Tolworth Court Farm, for example, has medieval origins and is still visible in the area. The allotments of Tolworth played a vital role in growing food for local people for over 100 years but little is known or documented about their heritage and impact on the community. How many people know that the voice of the World War II campaign ‘Dig for Victory’ was Cecil Henry Middleton, more commonly known as Mr Middleton, who lived in Surbiton and was the first in our long line of British celebrity gardeners.

We don't just want to develop a suburban farm along traditional lines, we want to move towards establishing an aquaponics centre to further promote food production and reduce food footprint. We’ve already had fruitful conversations with the council and a number of interested parties in the area who are excited about the prospect of such approaches and want to offer support, and share their skills and passions.

We want help to identify other areas that we can use to give people the chance to plant and grow – it doesn’t matter how small.

We will link all this activity to the Community Kitchen we launched in 2016 at the Museum of Futures in Surbiton, to provide the community with opportunities to learn and develop through workshops, demonstrations, advice sessions and research.

Along with 'feeling safe' and 'people', our annual community surveys reveal that what matters most to community is ‘feeling included’‘community events’ and ‘public spaces’. We hear how people want ‘spaces to breathe’, for ‘public land and spaces to be kept public, and better preserved’. And they reveal concern about traffic levels, congestion and pollution in Tolworth. We know that locally produced food, independent business and nurturing talent are key drivers of people's sense of a community where hospitality and communal eating play a significant part in its character.

SHEDx our suburban farming project brings all this enthusiasm and insight together. It’s about productively greening the area, giving it a real positive local narrative that not only picks up on a half-remembered past but also projects it into an exciting and optimistic future, making every space a potential resource, however small, public or private. Not only for now, but for future generations. Let's 'Grow for Good' together.

Tolworth treasureby lucy Furlong, local resident

What kind of future plan should Tolworth have? I would like to see a commitment to keep and manage its green spaces sensitively – because they are what make Tolworth special.

I was shocked to hear Tolworth referred to as a ‘ghetto’ by staff and students at Kingston University while I was studying there. It is one of the oldest parts of the Borough - with ancient and deep historical roots. There are the remains of a medieval moated manor at Tolworth Court, where Kingston Biodiversity Network holds open days. Tolworth Court Farm Fields is a wonderful wild treasure, which should stay that way.

Alison Fure, a local ecologist, has been taking people on Apple Walks, fascinating insights into the history of orchards and fruit growing in this part of the borough. This includes the Tolworth Apple Store, an important piece of local heritage, which she is campaigning to protect.

On the borders of Tolworth is the Hogsmill Valley, where Millais painted the backdrop to his painting Ophelia, something I have written about in my poetry map, Over the Fields, an exploration of four generations of my family’s relationship with the greenbelt, which is at the end of the Sunray Estate, towards Malden Manor.

The other day, on my regular morning run down Old Kingston Road, I got to the bridge over the Hogsmill and stopped, to see a flash of iridescent blue zoom downstream: a kingfisher. It’s not such a rare sight, if you stop there regularly, and look in the right direction, away from the traffic.

Tolworth is remarkable for its open green spaces, and we have a choice now - do we value them, and protect them, recognising them as our lungs and our unique heritage, or do we lose them and become more urban, more polluted and a lot less interesting?

Lucy Furlong grew up in Tolworth. She is a widely published writer, teacher and walking artist. Her poetry map, about the local green space, Over the Fields, was published in 2015. www.lucyfurlong.com

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GuidinG PrinciPle 2:

build a strong local high street and wider economies

Tolworth’s retail offer could be strengthened with larger retail and leisure uses. These new opportunities could provide expansion space for local businesses, complement social and civic uses, promote Tolworth as a district centre, and encourage people to choose to walk or cycle the short distance to shops and services.

GuidinG PrinciPle 1:

support regeneration opportunities

if crossrail 2 is delivered, Tolworth will have faster, more frequent connections to central london and beyond. Alongside a good placemaking strategy, these connections can help promote Tolworth, providing a boost to the local economy, increase demand for space, and make change a viable proposition.

GuidinG PrinciPle 3:

Make the most of green assets

Tolworth’s large areas of open space are difficult to access in parts and of varying quality. by enhancing the quality of open space, supporting clubs and groups that use open space, improving access and providing new facilities, more residents could be encouraged to use local open space, enhancing their quality of life.

GuidinG PrinciPle 4:

encourage low emission transport

improved cycle and pedestrian connections across Tolworth and beyond could contribute towards healthier streets, a happier place, and place more businesses and services within reach.

GuidinG PrinciPle 5:

connect Tolworth

The A3 and railway are a barrier between the north and south of Tolworth. overcoming these could make green spaces, Tolworth railway station, and chessington industrial estate more accessible.

GuidinG PrinciPle 6:

Promote local identity

despite its history and assets, Tolworth’s contemporary identity is undefined and unclear. The Area Plan could build on local strengths and history to promote a distinct identity which new development could respond to.

Guiding principlesTo achieve the vision the following guiding principles have been developed. let us know what you think.

Tolworth will be an accessible and well-connected place, known for its quality of life, community, and distinct role within the royal borough of Kingston upon Thames.

The quality and diversity of Tolworth’s leisure and recreational offer will be known across the royal borough of Kingston upon Thames and south west london. Tolworth station will offer quick and frequent access to central london within a mixed-use district containing shops and places of work, alongside new homes and public spaces. The station will be well connected to a busy and successful broadway, which will offer a diversity of shops, services and civic uses. A family friendly evening economy will re-enliven Tolworth’s rich history of entertainment.

The A3 will no longer divide the town. Tolworth will also benefit from new pedestrian, cycle and bus routes that make it easy for workers at the successful chessington and red lion industrial estates to make frequent use of local shops and social venues. Facilities at the Kingston university sports ground will complement the hogsmill nature reserve, open spaces and healthy streets. open spaces will be easy to reach for all, with people often taking advantage of the rest of Tolworth when they visit.

A vision for Tolworthin order to shape a plan for Tolworth we have developed a vision that we think Tolworth should aspire to.

what do you think?

We have compiled the draft Tolworth Area Plan with input from businesses, partners, local Councillors and residents. We hope it reflects a shared vision for a bright future for Tolworth, enabling the area to take advantage of the many

opportunities that sustainable and well-managed growth will present. Most of all we want Tolworth to be a great place to live, run a business or work in. Now we really want to hear what YOU think of the draft Tolworth Area Plan.

Tolworth Area Plan public consultationMonday 9 October to Sunday 5 November

For full details go to: www.kingston.gov.uk/TAP