Residents are campaigning to take forward an ambitious plan to expand Raynes Park town centre and create a landscaped open market space.

The proposed area, adjacent to the Rock restaurant in Kingston Road, would span 1350 square metres and would involve turning the current dual carriageway system into a single carriageway.

In comparison the circular piazza in Wimbedon's town centre is just 490 square metres.

Chris Larkman, chairman of the Raynes Park Association, said: "There’s a huge bit of space there and a dual carriageway and it’s not particularly attractive and you don’t need a dual carriageway so we have said make it a single carriageway and use the space to develop an open area that can be used as a farmers market.

"We very much want to publicise it and to get people thinking about it and campaigning.

"We believe it won’t be a problem for traffic as people that use that stretch regularly.

"There’s really no need for a dual carriageway as there’s never any build up of traffic."

In 2012 Raynes Park was named London’s best performing high street in a study of 500 smaller town centres across Britain after it was found to have just two per cent of vacant retail units - compared to a London average of 10 per cent.

However the town is split in half by the railway which runs through its centre essentially dividing the town.

Mr Larkman said: "All of the development happened on the north side of the railway which is the main part of Raynes Park.

"By developing that particular stretch it will help unite the two halves of Raynes park."

The plans, which would form part of the Raynes Park Enhancement Plan, are dependant on section 106 money generated from a nearby proposed development of the Rainbow Industrial Estate which is subject to a planning application for 250 new flats.

 

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