Sutton Council is asking people to have their say on changes to the northern gateway of Sutton Town Centre after it secured a £500,000 grant to improve the area.
The money from the New Homes Bonus Scheme of the Central Government is to be spent on improving the look and feel of the gateway to the northern end of the pedestrianised High Street between Marshall’s Road and Benhill Avenue and around the Asda store. Public consultations are to take place next month. Residents, visitors and businesses are invited to Sutton Council public consultation events on Wednesday 9 September between 12 noon and 2pm and from 4pm to 6pm, and on Saturday 12 September between 10am and 5pm. The consultations will be held opposite the Asda superstore at 229 Sutton High Street. This is the first opportunity for people to have their say on how best to spend the grant funding and regenerate the area, whether by improving seating and planting in the area, upgrading shopfronts and/or activating vacant units.
Councillor Marlene Heron, Chair of Sutton Local Committee, said:
“We want to create a thriving town centre and the northern gateway is crucial in welcoming people to our main shopping district. It is fantastic that the council has secured £500,000 of funding and we want to work with residents and traders to make improvements that will boost footfall. That way we can reduce the amount of shop vacancies, improve the look of the area and attract new customers. The Northern Gateway is one of a number of projects Sutton Council is involved with in order to boost the town centre helping to secure the town’s status as an important sub-regional destination for shopping and leisure. Other projects include the redevelopment of the former gasworks site on the edge of the northern gateway, the establishment of an “entrepreneur’s market” in the High Street to support new entrepreneurs and start-up businesses by providing them with support and advice, and the Sutton Town Centre Masterplan which will provide an overall vision for the future of the area.