Sutton Town Centre is on the verge of significant change. Nearly 50 sites have been identified for redevelopment, which will deliver more than 5,000 new homes, as well as increased retail and commercial space.
While this is good news for the future of the town centre, we need to preserve the character of Sutton in the midst of such growth and the competing needs of investors, developers, businesses and residents.

The Sutton Town Centre Heritage Action Zone (Sutton HAZ) partnership, launched in April 2017, will see Sutton Council work with Successful Sutton, Historic England, and Carshalton and District History and Archaeological Society (CADHAS) over the three years up to 2020 to deliver a series of projects that will support local heritage to promote economic growth in Sutton Town Centre.

Sutton HAZ will help by:

• Supporting the delivery of Sutton Council’s Town Centre Masterplan, designed to make Sutton a destination of choice over the next decade
• Striving to remove the High Street Conservation Area from the Heritage at Risk Register, creating an environment that keeps existing businesses and attracts new ones
• Developing guidance and management policies to help ensure that heritage is at the heart of new developments to retain Sutton’s distinctiveness
• Engaging with the local community to increase the understanding of Sutton’s heritage and the tools that are available to manage it, through published research and engagement events
• Drawing on Historic England’s expertise in assessing significance and through training events, equip Sutton Council and its partners with skills to preserve and enhance the character of the town when working with developers
• Providing transferable lessons for other town centres around balancing growth with the management of heritage assets

What will be happening this year?

• Research: To understand how Sutton has grown and developed, we’ll carry out a Historic Area Assessment to underpin other work for the HAZ project
• Archaeology: We’ll review our archaeological records to determine the potential for new and exciting discoveries
• Listing: List descriptions will be improved to support the planning process and opportunities for new listings will be sought at a national and local level
• Conservation area: Through a Partnership Scheme in Conservation Areas grant from Historic England, a programme of building enhancement works will go ahead, working in partnership with Sutton Council, local shop owners and landowners
• Events: A number of events will be held exploring Sutton’s heritage, and how this can inform good growth, for those who live, work and visit Sutton.

The Council is keen to hear about your ideas on any projects that may interest you and if you or the organisation you represent wish to get involved. We will seeking to broaden the project based partnership, looking for volunteers and bid for further funding opportunitie

More information is here

and here.  Please contact the Council at [email protected] with your contact details and the relevant project lead officer will respond to your query.

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