In recent years, the Richmond upon Thames Council and local campaigners have been locked in an unending battle. This was caused by development plans at the Stag Brewery site and their knock-on effect for the nearby junction of Chalker’s Corner, linking Mortlake to Richmond and Chiswick.

Over 2 and a half years ago, in January 2020, the Council held a meeting to discuss plans for the development of a new Sixth Form college and 633 residential units at the Stag Brewery Site. In addition, plans to widen the road at Chalker’s Corner in order to ease traffic were declined and deemed unnecessary. At the end of May, the Council’s consulting phase ended. It is now in their hands what happens at the site. Throughout this phase, backlash from Mortlake locals was widespread and emphatic. They voiced a number of concerns about the road widening plans in particular. Trees line the side of the road and are much needed to aid poor air quality due to congestion throughout the day. To widen the road, these would all need to be cut down. When added to the effect of extra traffic due to the hundreds of new homes built and the Sixth Form college, air quality would become constantly and extremely polluted.

As of now, no building work has started, and the junction has been renamed “Choker’s Corner” by residents. It remains to be seen what happens next, but it seems unlikely that an arrangement beneficial for both parties can be found soon. Maybe the future of Chalker’s Corner will be to remain in a standstill indefinitely. To many, this would be the most desirable outcome. While no one is pleased with the current state, there is possibility for it to get worse from here.