The Richmond Burial Ground Trust was scheduled to meet to discuss the proposed Circular Economy Hub at Grove Gardens Chapel. The meeting was also scheduled to cover declarations of interest and apologies for absence.

Circular Economy Hub at Grove Gardens Chapel

The Richmond Burial Ground Trust was scheduled to discuss a report about the proposed Circular Economy Hub at Grove Gardens Chapel. The Circular Economy Hub is described as:

a local initiative to enable residents to adopt circular behaviours as part of their everyday lives, providing a space for items to get repaired or swapped, as well as promoting skills, knowledge and confidence in repair and reuse.

The first phase of the project, provisionally titled 'The Fixery', is planned to launch in March 2026 for a 12-month trial period.

The report notes that Grove Gardens Chapel was selected as the preferred site because of the time period it is available, the space provided and the relationship with key partner Habitats & Heritage. The report also notes that the site is itself circular, as the chapel has been disused since the 1960s and is now being repurposed.

The site will offer repairs of electricals, textiles, and bikes through Twickenham Repair Café, supported by Dr Bike. It will also feature resale of second-hand items via commercial partners such as Loved Before, and operate its own clothes swap, with potential expansion to school uniform and sports equipment exchanges. There are also plans for a refreshments stand.

The report stated that Habitats & Heritage have advised that there will be no negative impacts on biodiversity from the introduction of a Circular Economy Hub on the site. The report also notes that the area of hardstanding near the Monkey Puzzle tree in the Burial Ground site is due to be cleared from overgrowth, and this will provide an opportunity for occasional temporary uses such as the Dr Bike stand.

The report stated that council officers are determining whether it would be possible to provide in-kind or financial support to the Burial Ground Trust for access and usage of the site for Circular Economy related activity.

The Circular Economy Hub supports the delivery of the Our resources focus area of the Richmond upon Thames Climate and Nature Strategy, and directly delivers against action 15 of the 2025 Action Plan - Creating the infrastructure for a zero waste economy.

The report to the Richmond Burial Ground Trust recommended that the committee note the report, provide feedback on the approach and support the use of the Richmond Burial Ground site for occasional activities related to the Circular Economy Hub.

Other items

The agenda also included:

• Welcome and apologies
• Declarations of interest