Dear Neighbour
A furious row has broken out in Richmond over markings left on the roads and pavements of the Hampton Triangle by contractors working – ultimately, through a somewhat tangled web – for The Jockey Club. In an exchange of emails which KKG has seen, a Richmond Council officer and councillor have expressed their outrage at the multi-coloured defacements. (See Document 76 attached.)
The marks were part of a cable and utilities survey done at the behest of Redrow Homes, according to the staff of Select Surveys, who spray-painted them on 3 October. Select Surveys were working for TriConnex, who were in turn working for Aspire (The Jockey Club’s lead consultant on the 1500-homes-plus-commercial-units development proposed for Kempton Park). Redrow Homes were recently granted the right of first refusal over 70 acres of land on The Kempton Park estate. Mouchel, who were conducting a traffic count on the same day, are The Jockey Club’s transport consultants for the same development.
It appears that the work was conducted without the consent of Richmond Council, and the Council consider that an offence has been committed “in direct contravention of Section 132 of the Highways Act 1980” and have threatened legal proceedings (although it has to be said that the penalty for first offenders is only £100). The email exchange continued. Cllr Gareth Roberts, a representative for Hampton Ward, said: “It is an absolute disgrace that your company can simply come into our streets and graffiti the length and breadth of the pavements and carriageways without first seeking any permission from the local authority or offering any form of explanation.”
Despite being asked several times, TriConnex have been reluctant to explain the purpose of the survey work. “Everyone I have spoken with has been vague to the point of evasiveness,” said the Council officer. Despite the reticence of TriConnex and Aspire, however, the PR consultant to The Jockey Club confirmed today that the work was connected with the Kempton Park proposal. There are similar markings on the road and pavement at the racecourse, and also near the roundabout at Hampton Court Bridge, including on the cobblestones at the entrance to the Palace itself. TriConnex have agreed to remove the paint from the Hampton Triangle. It remains to be seen whether they will do the same at Kempton Park and Hampton Court.
Recently released FOI documents confirm that a planning application is expected to be made by The Jockey Club after the general election in May 2015. We will need funds to fight it. Donations to the Keep Kempton Green Fighting Fund can now be made through PayPal. Just go to http://www.losra.org, scroll down a little, and click on the button marked “Donate to the Keep Kempton Green Fund”. You can also donate by cheque. Please make your cheque payable to LOSRA and send it to:
20 Green Street, Sunbury, TW16 6RN
As you would expect, the identity of all donors will be kept confidential.
Remember: Keep Kempton Green began as a campaign to protect Green Belt at Kempton Park. That campaign has now been forced to expand to protect Green Belt throughout Spelthorne, which is all at risk in a forthcoming review of our Local Plan. This threat is against the whole Borough.
Visit us at http://www.keepkemptongreen.com, Like our Facebook page, and Follow us on Twitter (links to both on the website). Leave your comments at all three.
Kind regards, and thank you very much in advance for your generosity.
Keep Kempton Green
Keep Kempton Green 
How utterly ridiculous. I’ve worked for both energy and water utility companies, and those painted markings are there to keep the workforce safe – by clearly marking things like HV cables – and to minimise disruption – as utility plans are often not quite the same when you excavate, and you don’t want to cut off the broadband of half of Hampton.
What is more, the paint used by utilities contractors and surveyors is generally highly biodegradable and is likely to be gone in this wet weather very soon indeed.
This has nothing to do with paint on the pavement, and everything to do with objection to a housing development. Please do us the courtesy of at least being honest.
Of course the residents are objecting to a potential housing development which will have immense implications for them if it goes ahead.
But when the Council officials responsible for this work object in the strongest terms, then there is something wrong. It is all very well for potential developers to do this type of survey, and use this paint in doing it (although two weeks on with quite a lot of rain, the marks are still very much there). But when they don’t even ask permission to do the work, which is what the Council is saying, and when asked several times, refuse to say why and for who they are doing this work, ….