A green area in Twickenham, that has been inaccessible for years, has now been opened to the public with a footpath and cycleway running through it.

Twickenham Rough is an important environmental site next to the new housing development at Brewery Walk opposite Twickenham Station.

The site was formally handed over to the Council earlier this year and during the past few weeks officers have been working hard to ensure that it is ready for public use.

Access will be through gates at either end of the site, which will be open from dawn to dusk every day except Rugby Football Union (RFU) event days, when they will be closed.

Cllr Martin Elengorn, cabinet member for environment at Richmond Council, said: “It is five years since the Planning Committee gave planning permission for Twickenham Rough to become a public amenity with the shared footpath and cycleway running through it.

“It has taken a long time to get the legal agreements in place, and then ensure that this new green space is ready to be open to the public.”

The shared use path starts behind the M Bar and Grill and extends to the Marsh Farm Lane footbridge by Craneford Playing Fields.

The area used to be farm land, however, with a later industrial development it became sandwiched between the Old Sorting Office, the railway track and the River Crane, inaccessible to the public and overgrown. It became known as Twickenham Rough.

When the Sorting Office was sold to St James for development it was agreed that Twickenham Rough would be transferred to the Council and become public amenity land.