THE AIMS OF THE SOCIETY
The Kingston upon Thames Society exists to promote high standards of planning, conservation and design in the Royal Borough.
It seeks to inform the people of Kingston about major planning issues affecting our town.
The Society provides a forum through which the people of Kingston can play a part in ensuring that our heritage of historic buildings is preserved, and that the style and scale of new developments are in harmony with the existing townscape.
Historical Perspectives
The Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames lies on the East bank of the middle stretch of the River Thames. Once in Surrey, it is now in Greater London and lies about 12 miles upstream from Westminster Bridge. In 2007, the population was estimated to be about 160,000 within an area of 37.25kmsquared.
The name Kingston - meaning royal manor (derived from Cyninges Tun or Cingestune) - first appears in an agreement between King Ecgbert and Coelnoth, Archbishop of Canterbury, at a council held there in 838. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicles record that King Athelstan was consecrated there. Tradition has it that Kingston was the coronation place of other Anglo-Saxon kings. Doomsday Book records that Kingston was part of King Edward the Confessor's farm and that there was there a church, 5 mills and three fisheries.
A Royal Charter was granted to Kingston by King John in 1200. In 1603 James 1 granted the town a Saturday Market and in 1927, King George V confirmed Kingston's status as a Royal Borough. In 1965, Queen Elizabeth ll granted another Royal Charter which entitles Kingston to continue to use the title 'Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames'.
Kingston's importance stems from its position on the River Thames. This was an artery for trade and for centuries Kingston Bridge was the first crossing upstream of London Bridge. In the early 18th and 19th Centuries, Kingston was an important staging post for coaches, had leather, brewing and other industries, had markets and was self sufficient for basic goods and services. The railway came to surbiton in 1838 and a station opened in Kingston in 1863.
Kingston has been an important administrative centre since time immemorial and today it has a Crown Court, County Court and Magistrates' Court, the headquarters of Surrey County Council, a University and a College of Further Education. While there is virtually no manufacturing industry left in the town, it remains a busy shopping centre with a vibrant night-time economy. The newly-developed Charter Quay area, which archaeologists believe was the centre planned of what became the medieval town of Kingston, is now the home of the recently-opened Rose theatre as well as the river-side housing complex.
Despite considerable development and redevelopment since the Second World War little of any distinction was added in this period and it was an ill-considered plan by Surrey County Council to build a relief road parallel to the river cutting the Town Centre from the artery that brought the town into being that precipitated the formation of the Society in 1961. Opposition to the plan grew amongst architects and residents alike and was finally succesful in defeating the proposal. Since that time the Kingston upon Thames Society has continued to support higher standards of planning and the preservation, protection,development and improvement of features of historic or public interest within the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames.
LATEST NEWS Click here to see latest news of our AGM 2009.
TOPIC OF THE MONTH
TESCO AT TOLWORTH
The latest planning application has been withdrawn on the eve of a public meeting to discuss the plans
TEXACO PETROL STATION SITE NEW MALDEN
The submitted plans have been turned down.
KINGSTON TOWN CENTRE
The Quebec House development is progressing, work should be completed in eighteen months. the project will incorporate a larger loading bay.
K+20 THE EDEN QUARTER
Before the Credit Crunch took hold tenders were invited for reconsructing the area surrounding Eden Walk. The council refused to publish the conditions of tender saying merely that the proposals were to be accompnied by costs. The receipt has been delayed from November to, possibly March. As you know we vehemently oppose the increase in retail accommodation which is a prerequisite of this proposal and in our view is unnecessary and would result in traffic congestion and parking problems. Perhaps the current disastrous retail situation will make the Council see the sense in our views.
See 'How to Join', and let your voice be heard in consultations on the future of our town centre.