Sutton Council agrees new Masterplan for redevelopment of Town Centre

Sutton Council has agreed a vision for the future of Sutton Town Centre and a 15-year Masterplan to help make the vision a reality that includes redeveloping the Civic Centre area and transforming the gyratory system around the High Street.

The Masterplan will ensure that in these economically uncertain times the Town Centre continues to attract new business to invest in the centre and to provide shopping, services and local employment opportunities.

The Town Centre Masterplan follows an extensive eight-week consultation earlier this year that resulted in nearly 800 comments from local residents and businesses.

The vision will ensure that by 2031 Sutton Town Centre will  be celebrated for its range of independent retailers, a vibrant and bustling range of arts, cultural and entertainment activities for people of all generations, diverse food and dining, and will stand out because of its strong local heritage.

In order to deliver this vision the Masterplan makes a commitment that Sutton Council will:

  • Explore the redevelopment of the Civic Centre area to create new spaces for arts, culture and entertainment activities in the town centre as well as providing much-needed new homes.
  • Work with the owners of the St Nicholas Shopping Centre to create new activity along St Nicholas Way, with shops, leisure and dining venues near the existing cinema;
  • Work to help deliver new employment development at or above Sutton railway station to strengthen the existing focus for employment in Sutton, support existing local employers and boost the number of jobs in the town centre;
  • Transform the gyratory road around the town centre on St Nicholas Way and Throwley Way into an urban boulevard lined with street trees and ensure that all new development facing onto it is of exceptionally high quality;
  • Work with grant funders to secure a range of High Street projects to strengthen the centre of Sutton and improve the image of the town centre; and
  • Work with Historic England and landowners on a plan to enhance the historic core of the Town Centre.

Mary Morrissey, Strategic Director of Environment, Housing and Regeneration at Sutton Council, said:

“Sutton Town Centre is the lifeblood of our borough. We must support it to grow and provide more jobs and opportunities for our residents through major plans including the redevelopment of the Civic Centre area and the transformation of the gyratory into an urban boulevard. These will help us to create a distinctive Sutton and I want to thank everyone who took part in the consultation as they have helped to create the future of Sutton Town Centre.”

The Sutton Town Centre Masterplan covers the town centre area and complements the council’s Local Plan, which sets out a Vision for the whole of the borough. The Local Plan is currently being reviewed as part of Sutton Council’s wider vision for the whole of the borough in 2031-32 and is being prepared in the context of Sutton being a One Planet Borough with a proud identity as a green and environmentally-sustainable borough.

The Local Plan, which has detailed planning policies to help judge planning applications for new developments including those in the town centre, will be subject to a follow-up consultation in the autumn.

Bilfinger GVA (BGVA), one of the largest planning, development and regeneration advisers in the UK and Ireland, led the consortium that created the ambitious masterplan, which included Architecture 00, Urban Engineering Studio, and Allies and Morrison.

Jerry Freeman, Senior Director of Development at BGVA, said:

“The Sutton Town Centre Masterplan sets a strong, deliverable vision for the future of the Town Centre, with a clear direction for development and investment going forward to 2031. This provides the evidence and guidance to strengthen the competitive position of Sutton Town Centre as a key metropolitan centre in outer London. The Masterplan supports the council’s requirements and aspirations for the Town Centre. The council is now investigating ways to facilitate the Masterplan proposals through the use of its assets and its wider influence on development.”

The Town Centre Masterplan follows on from the Greater London Authority’s granting of Housing Zone status for Sutton Council’s Sutton One Housing Zone, which has identified 12 key sites for residential development in Sutton Town Centre and Hackbridge. The council has also set up a development company and investment vehicle to encourage businesses to invest in the borough.

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