Bold new designs for Sutton presented in its Area Action Plan

Radical long-term plans to bring more jobs, business and homes to Sutton town centre - and make it one of the greenest in the country - have been unveiled by Gillespies and the London Borough of Sutton.

With a makeover of the High Street just months away, planners have set out how the town centre could grow and improve over the next 10 to 15 years as a model of sustainable urban living. Sutton Town Centre is the key administrative, civic and commercial heart of the south London Borough of Sutton. At the current time, the area is vibrant and attractive in parts yet widespread differences exist in the design character due to intensive development in the past. The local authority is now seeking to capitalise on the potential of regeneration opportunities available in the borough and to adopt a more unified design style.

Residents, businesses and others have been consulted over the last 18 months on what they would like to see in the town centre. As a result of this some preferred options have been drawn up for a new Town Centre Area Action Plan. This identifies four distinct town centre quarters, each with its own character and development opportunities, to meet future needs for retail, office space, culture and homes. Proposals include:

• Providing new business space and 2,000 new jobs in the area

• Adding new shops, cafes, restaurants and leisure facilities

• Improving transport to put pedestrians and cyclists first

• Building 2,000 new energy-efficient homes

• All development to meet requirements of making Sutton a One Planet Living borough by 2025, where people live within their fair share of the earth's resources.