A public inquiry into the Council's plans for the £40m redevelopment of Twickenham Riverside is due to start on June 6.

A Planning Inspector will decide whether to support the Council's plan to pursue a Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) for the Diamond Jubilee Gardens, which are controlled by the Twickenham Riverside Trust.

Existing Diamond Jubilee Gardens viewed from riverside. Credit: Google Maps

The Council plans to buy and move the Gardens to a new area alongside the development planned for the site, which it argues will create a new heart for the centre of Twickenham.

It will involve building two new apartment blocks with 45 homes, shops, a pub and café, as well as creating a new playground and public open space to host events.

The Lib-Dem administration insist they have a mandate for the scheme which formed part of their policy platform at last May's local elections where they achieved a landslide victory.

The Twickenham Riverside Trust and some other community groups are opposing the CPO on the basis the alternative area identified for public space on the important riverside site is inferior to what they already have.

The Council has set aside some £500,000 to fund the pursuit of the application and public inquiry. By contrast, the Trust will have to fund its own representation and expert witnesses.

A pre-inquiry meeting was hosted by the planning inspector Peter Rose earlier this week to set out how the inquiry will proceed.

The Council indicated that it will publish its case supporting the CPO by the end of this March. Opponents will have until May 23 to publish their rebuttal.

The Inquiry is to open at 10 am on Tuesday, June 6, and up to 12 days have been set aside to hear representations – June 6-8, June 13-15, June 20-22, and June 27-29.

It will take place in Clarendon Hall at the council's head office at York House, Twickenham. The public will be allowed to attend, while it is also expected that it will be broadcast via webcam.