Plans for a £50m "shot in the arm" regeneration of a run down area of Sutton have been submitted to the council.
Developer LXB Retail Properties wants to build a block of 186 apartments, a supermarket, shops, restaurants and a public plaza at the northern end of Sutton town centre on the site of the old gas works off the High Street.
The plans will also include improvements to the road network to help the area cope with an increase in traffic and XLB says the project, dubbed The Old Gasworks, will create 500 jobs and act as a gateway for the town centre.
The scheme was first unveiled almost a year ago during a public exhibition on the site. At the time, 88 per cent of the 300 people who visited gave their support to the designs, according to LXB. Now the developer has gone to the council with a formal planning application.
A computer generated image of how the scheme could look
Giles Haywood of LXB said: "We have been speaking to local people, resident groups, local politicians and a range of local stakeholders with an interest in the Town Centre for over two years.
"We’re delighted there has been so much support for our plans. It’s going to breathe new life into the town centre and create a fantastic new place for people to meet, eat, live, work and shop."
After showing the plans to the public, LXB has made a number of changes by redesigning the look of the supermarket, removing a planned hotel and adding new landscaping to the public plaza. It also increased the number of apartments from 140 to 186 after the council said it wants to increase the number of people living in the town centre.
Politicians have backed the plans. Councillor Jayne McCoy, chair of Sutton Council's housing, economy and business committee, said: "This scheme is a welcome high-quality gateway development that will regenerate the north end of Sutton Town Centre and create a new retail destination."
Steve O’Connell, GLA member for Sutton said today: "I have been supportive from the outset of this great scheme and look forward to its’ delivery. This scheme is the shot in the arm the north end of the High Street has needed for many years."
How the site looks now (Image: Google)
The plans have been submitted to the councils planning department and will be scrutinised before they are put in front of councillors on the development control committee who will decide whether they go ahead.
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