News in Teddington

Article contributed by Colin Cooper, CEO of Twickenham charity Habitats & Heritage

Over the last few decades, it is difficult not to notice the lack of butterflies, bees and other pollinators in our gardens, local parks and out and about more generally.

Police are becoming concerned over the number of campers setting up their tents in Richmond Park and Bushy Park.

They are reminding the public not to do this without written permission as camping can damage the habitat and potentially injure the deer.

A Teddington lockdown couple have set up a specialist shop for dog owners, selling everything from home-made treats to patterned poop bag holders.

Lisa Wyborn and her partner Lee Emery, of Waldegrave Road, opened their online store Ruff Dogs last month.

Teddington's famous National Physical Laboratory (NPL) will be opening Bushy House to the public as part of Open House Festival London 2021 on 12 September between 10am and 4.30pm, offering visitors a rare chance to explore the fascinating history and better understand scientific significance of the former royal residence and well-known local landmark.

Visitors will have the opportunity to explore various parts of the original home of NPL, which today, 121 years since it was founded, still contains laboratories with experts working on the Kibble Balance.

A leading eating disorder charity has reported a 233% increase in carers contacting them for support in 2020-21, in comparison to the previous year.

From April 2019-March 2020, Beat received 1,108 requests for support to its helpline services from London based carers.

The latest instalment in our UP CLOSE WITH series where we profile a business or community group in the Teddington area.

This week our reporter Eleanor Veness visited Hampton Food Bank, located on Teddington's doorstep just the other side of Bushy Park, to find out more about their work and the impact of the pandemic on services.

Richmond Council's plans to protect Teddington high street and other town centres in the borough could be ended with a letter from the government, Nub News has learned.

Under new government laws, shops can be turned into houses without the consent of the Council - by using Permitted Development Rights (PDRs) to change the building's class of use.

A gallery near Teddington is calling for work by local artists to make up a new exhibition this autumn.

Orleans House Gallery, in Twickenham, is inviting submissions from artists living or working in the London Borough of Richmond Upon Thames for their November open call exhibition - Breaking Ground.

A group which has been fighting against the development of Teddington playing fields for 7 years is "deeply disturbed" by news that an alternative bid for the site has been accepted.

The Friends of Udney Park Playing Fields formed in 2014 and secured the fields' status as an Asset of Community Value while campaigning for use of the playing fields by Teddington's community.

Teddington councillors and MP Munira Wilson have expressed their disappointment following last Friday's shock news that the widely supported community bid for Udney Park playing fields has been rejected.

Twickenham MP Munira Wilson, who represents Teddington in parliament, was a key supporter of the bid for the fields led by local resident Jonathan Dunn.