The Thames borders a substantial length of this Borough and, like the air and the sea, belongs to no-one and everyone. However, public contact with it through the length of the Borough's foreshore is patchy at best and, over several stretches, deplorable.

The river bank in the Borough is as much the property of those living in, say, White City as those living adjacent to it. Therefore, the access of these people to the river should be considered. Public transport does not reach the bankside between Wandsworth and Hammersmith bridges. So, recommendations for action included the support for the creation of a local planning group to include among others, the Fulham, Hammersmith and River Thames Societies, Residents' Associations together with statutory bodies including the PLA and support for a riverside walk and cycleway, with provision for the disabled. And for those living in the north of the borough, we should survey whether they would make more use of Thames-side facilities in the borough if a more direct transport route was to be introduced.

The River's beauty is also recognised by developers, but is normally seen as a resource to capitalise on rather than as a resource to respect and share. There have been frequent disputes concerning proposed incursions into the river, such as the recent Fulham Football Ground expansion plans in 2001/2002, and this has often highlighted the lack of any coherent strategy in the Borough. Nevertheless, the publication of the 'Kew to Chelsea Thames Strategy' was a major step forward as well as relevant sections in the Mayor of London's 'London Plan', with which the LA21 Forum here was closely involved. However, many of these recommendations still lack 'teeth'   and we must maintain vigilance on planning applications so that ecological implications as well as housing and recreation considerations are considered with high priority. Through the LA21 Forum, we hope that local people will be encouraged to participate in the creation of a coherent strategy for the river and campaign for its status as a vital natural resource for this Borough.

Some stretches of the river front offer opportunities for improvement for the common good. The British Gas site in Townmead Road has an ecology area, the warm water outflow at Chelsea Creek attracts fish and fish-eating birdlife and, at low water, young people working with the Urban Studies Centre often measure the extent of wildlife on the foreshore at Hammersmith Bridge. Broomhouse drawdock remains in danger of overdevelopment and some historic access points to the river have been sold, slipways closed and the traditional sloping banksides replaced by vertical walls, now comprising 70% of the entire riverside. Therefore, the opportunities for developing the Thamesbank walkway, to include a cycle path, are threatened.