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Draft - Work in ProgressStage 1 Consultation Report:Issues and Opportunities

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Contents

Executive Summary 04

Introduction 08

Consultation Approach 10

Questionnaire responses 12

Postcard responses 22

Additional engagement 24

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0 / Main header1 / Executive summary

An overview of the consultation process

During the first stage of consultation for Transform Leatherhead, which ran throughout May and June 2015, a series of events, workshops and walkabouts have taken place resulting in an estimated 3,000 face-to-face engagements. A branded postcard was distributed to 25,000 households advertising forthcoming events and signposting to further information on the project website.

362 completed postcards were freepost returned with comments on the one change people would like to make to Leatherhead town centre. We received over 1,100 completed questionnaires, both online and in hard copy at events.

The website http://www.molevalley.gov.uk/transformleatherhead has been visited 3,185 times, by 2,123 individuals. Social media was also used to advertise the Masterplan and consultation events resulting in more than 6,000 total facebook reaches and over 63,000 #Transform Leatherhead Twitter impressions.

The feedback we received identified a number of key issues

• The need to improve the retail offer, in terms of the range of retail outlets and their quality. There was a general feeling that the Swan Centre was not sufficient and detracted from the character of the town.

• The desire for improved car parking facilities was widely supported with many noting the Swan Centre car park was not popular.

• Improving the accessibility of the town centre by reducing congestion was also one of the most important themes, including the need to replace the current one way system with a less complicated system. There were split views about the pedestrianisation of the High Street. Many said they would welcome better cycle facilities, particularly in and around the riverside.

• The river was consistently raised as a key asset for Leatherhead but it was felt more needed to be made of it as a feature. Opening up the River Mole to the public was suggested with bridge and leisure ideas warranting further investigation.

• Other comments were made in support of more housing in the town centre, specifically from the business breakfast, interactive workshops and walk and talk tours, with specific sites mentioned.

• There was clear support for new community facilities and improved townscape/ public realm.

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The key activities and specific feedback from each is summarised below:

Questionnaire responses

In response to a series of questions, the following responses were received:

• 906 respondents (over 80% of all those who answered this question) stated that improved shops would encourage them to spend more time in Leatherhead.

• Key themes that emerged from the comments to this question included retail, in particular the need for a larger variety and better quality shops, parking and the need for free short term parking to encourage footfall and difficulties with the current Swan Centre car park layout, and the need for improved accessibility to the town centre.

• 607 respondents stated that the river is the best feature in Leatherhead town centre, followed by the historic buildings (299)

• 546 respondents stated that attracting new shops is their top priority for improving Leatherhead.

• When asked what ideas could be incorporated into the Masterplan, the key themes that emerged included the need for a wider range of retail outlets, as well as better quality shops. The need for improved parking was stated as well as a desire for free short term parking. Improving accessibility to the town centre was mentioned along with the need to replace the current one way system for something less complicated. The river was considered a great asset for the town centre but it was felt that more needed to be made of this feature.

Postcard responses

The key themes noted in postcard responses to ‘if you could make one change in Leatherhead town centre what would it be’ were very similar to those received via the questionnaire responses - retail, parking and accessibility. Comments included that a wider range of shops in Leatherhead would be welcomed, improved parking facilities were needed and that free short term parking would be desirable.

Community Planning Weekend

• Over the course of the Community Planning Weekend a series of exhibition boards were available which allowed members of the public to comment Leatherhead using ‘post-it notes’. Key themes noted on post-its included improved retail and accessibility.

• A ‘vox-pop’ booth was available for members of the public to record their views on Leatherhead town centre, 30 videos were made and the common themes included the need for a larger variety of shops in the town centre, an improved night-time economy, and the need for better parking provision.

• Members of the consultant team based themselves at Leatherhead station from 7a.m. to speak to commuters and hand out postcards and questionnaires to encourage them to get involved.

• Members of the public were invited to take part in 2 guided ‘walk and talk’ tours around the town centre providing an opportunity for debate and discussion. Key themes discussed included parking, accessibiility and the need for new housing.

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Workshops and meetings

• On 24th June 2015 the consultant team held two consecutive two hour workshops. One with members of the Members Reference Group and the other with the Community Members Reference Group. A number of ideas were generated during the course of the workshops based on the following topics:

• Shopping and the evening economy • Leisure and culture • Housing • Movement and accessibility • Environment and design

Business Breakfast

• On the morning of the 24th June 2015 the masterplanners hosted a ‘business breakfast’ with several senior management members and office managers of large organisations based in Leatherhead. The key themes and topics discussed were:

• Lack of facilities provided within the town centre• Difficulty in attracting young people and graduates

to work in Leatherhead • The need to improve transport and accessibility

• Support for homes within the town centre

Therfield School

• On 25th June 2015 the consultation team facilitated several interactive workshops at a local secondary school (Therfield School). Over 500 students participated in the workshops throughout the day. The pupils were asked to identify the positives and negatives of Leatherhead and to tell us about their ‘ideal town centre’. The leisure centre was considered to be the best feature, the lack of retail outlets the worst and the pupils would like to see a bigger variety of shops to help create their ideal town centre. The students also had ideas on how the river could be used.

Village Planning Days

• Throughout the consultation period representatives from the project team attended a number of Village Days and Market Days and encouraged members of the public to make comments on Leatherhead. The key themes that emerged included accessibility, in particular improvement need to the one way system, the quality of retail units and the need to make a better feature of the river.DRAFT

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0 / Main header

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1.1 Introduction

In early 2015 Mole Valley District Council commissioned Nexus Planning, Broadway Malyan, Colliers International and Mouchel Ltd to work in partnership with them to prepare the Leatherhead Town Centre Masterplan.

This report sets out the results of the public consultation on ‘Issues and Opportunities’ undertaken for the Leatherhead Town Centre Masterplan throughout May and June 2015.

1.2 Purpose

The purpose of this first stage of consultation was to gather the views of local residents, workers, and stakeholders in Leatherhead to understand the current issues facing Leatherhead and their aspirations for the future of the town centre.

The findings of this consultation exercise will be reported to MVDC and will be used to inform the next stage of the Masterplan, which will produce ideas for the town centre. These will be subject to another round of consultation in late 2015.

1.3 Structure of the Report

The remainder of this report is structured as follows:

3. Approach to consultation – a summary of how, where and with whom consultation took place;

4. Questionnaire responses – a detailed breakdown of responses received to the questionnaire;

5. Postcard responses – an analysis of the responses to ‘what one change would you make to Leatherhead Town Centre;

6. Workshop and walkabout summary - a summary of outcomes from workshops, walkabouts, villages planning days, informal meetings and business engagement that took place throughout May and June.

2 / Introduction

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1 / Introduction

The approach to the public consultation exercise is summarised below.

2.1 Questionnaire

An online questionnaire was available for completion via the Transform Leatherhead website (http://www.molevalley.gov.uk/transformleatherhead), as well as hard copies distributed at consultation events listed above. At the close of the consultation period a total of 1107 questionnaires had been completed, (907 online, 200 via post), the results of which can be found in section 3.

2.2 Project team attendance at public events

Representatives from the project team attended a number of Village Days and Market Days throughout May. At each event an information stall was erected. Representatives spoke to community members about the project and handed out postcards which set out key details about how members of the public could get involved.

The team also distributed postcards and questionnaires at the Leatherhead Duck Race held on 28th June 2015.

2.3 Informal meetings with businesses/community groups

Informal meetings were held with BFree Youth Café, St John’s School, Youth Voice, The Fairfield Centre, and the Leatherhead Rotary Club.

Senior staff from a number of large employers based in Leatherhead met with the project team at a business breakfast held on Wednesday 23rd June 2015.

One-on-one meetings were held with a number of businesses in and around Leatherhead.

2.4 Workshops with local school students

A full day of workshops at Therfield School took place on Thursday 24th June 2015. Over 500 students participated.

2.5 Community Planning Weekend

Consultation culminated with a Community Planning Weekend on Friday 26th (between 10am – 6pm) and Saturday 27th (between 9am – 2pm) June 2015. Over the two days, a series of display stands were set up on Leatherhead High Street. Members from the project team were stationed at the display stands to provide the opportunity for informal discussions to take place. Community members were welcomed to share their views by completing a short questionnaire, or recording their views using a ‘Vox Pop’ booth.

Members of the consultant team also based themselves at Leatherhead station from 7a.m. on Friday 26th June to encourage commuters to get involved.

Community members were also invited to attend a visioning workshop or ‘walk and talk’ tour around the town centre. A workshop and tour was conducted on each day of the Community Planning Weekend.

A press release was sent to local press before the Community Planning Weekend, as well as being advertised via the Transform Leatherhead website and Facebook account. Postcards were also distributed to 25,000 households in the Leatherhead area advertising the Community Planning Weekend, walkabouts and workshop, the free-post postcard also requested that people respond with one change they would make to Leatherhead town centre, a total of 362 postcards were returned.

3 / Approach

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Respondents were asked what would encourage them to spend more time in Leatherhead town centre. They were given a list of options and were able to select multiple answers. Of the 1093 responses received to this question, 906 (over 80% of all those who responded) stated that improved shops would encourage them to spend more time in Leatherhead town centre, with just over 40% of respondents stating that better car parking facilities would also encourage them.

Q1. Which of the following would encourage you to spend more time in Leatherhead town centre?

4 / Questionnaire responses

Graph 3.1: What would encourage respondents to spend more time in Leatherhead Town Centre.

No.

of

resp

onse

s

Improved shops

906

Better car parking facilities

468

More attractive outside spaces

370

Improved selection of food and

drink outlets

294

More markets

269

Better access for vehicles

239

More events within the

town centre

204

More leisure facilities

153

Better pedestrian and cycle

routes

153

Improved range of services

106

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Additional Comments No. of responses

A wider range of shops desired 68

Better quality shops welcomed 45

Free short term car parking 38

Fewer charity shops 36

Improve parking facilities 36

Independent shops to be encouraged 33

Improve accessibility into and around Leatherhead 30

Swan Centre Car Park needs improvement 30

Better clothes shops wanted 23

Improve public spaces 21

Open up the High Street to traffic 21

Better quality food and beverage offer required 20

Make more of a feature of the river 20

Rents and rates need to be reduced 19

Shoe shops needed 18

Butchers needed 16

Greengrocers needed 13

Improved/themed market 13

Improve Swan Centre 12

Marks & Spencer 12

No parking should be allowed in the High Street 12

Soft play area / children’s play area 12

More town centre activities / events needed 11

Waitrose welcomed in Leatherhead 11

Bakers needed 10

Improve Leatherhead Theatre 10

The key overall themes that have emerged from the additional comments to this question are retail, parking and accessibility:

Retail

The top two responses received were the need for a wider range of shops in Leatherhead (68 respondents) and that a better quality retail offer is needed (45). It was also felt by 36 respondents that Leatherhead town centre has too many charity shops, and that independent retailers should be encouraged to improve the offer within the town centre (33). Types and individual retailers were suggested numerous times, as listed in the table opposite.

Parking

The need for free short term car parking was mentioned by 38 respondents, both in terms of convenience and to encourage footfall within the town centre. Issues regarding the need for improved parking were raised by 36 respondents and a further 30 respondents singled out the Swan Centre car park and in particular the need for improvements due to narrow parking bays and ramps.

Accessibility

Issues of accessibility to Leatherhead and in particular the town centre were mentioned by 30 respondents, with a further 21 respondents suggesting that the High Street should be reopened to through traffic.

Other issues mentioned included the desire for improved public space (21), a better food and beverage offer in Leatherhead (21) and that more of a feature needs to be made of the River Mole (20).

“Car park is very difficult to use. With bigger cars now on our roads they are unable to use the car park the turns are much too tight and parking spaces too narrow”.

“More independent outlets (of any type). It just feels like the

big chains have moved in and any market-town type feel to the place does not exist. We

will become one big shopping centre, same as everywhere

else”.

Table 3.1: What would encourage respondents to spend more time in Leatherhead Town

Centre. Comments mentioned by less than 10 respondents are not included in this table.

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Respondents were asked what they considered to be Leatherhead town centre’s best feature, 1053 people responded to this question and were given the opportunity to choose from a list. Over half of respondents stated that the river was the best feature in Leatherhead (607 / 58%). This was followed by the historic buildings (299 / 28%) and the restaurants /cafes in Leatherhead (261 / 25%).

Q2. What do you consider to be Leatherhead town centre’s best feature?


Graph 3.2: What would you consider to be Leatherhead Town Centre’s best feature.

No.

of

resp

onse

s

The River

607

Historic buildings

299

Restaurants / cafes

261

Public transport

links

171

A sense of community

160

Open spaces

128

Other

88

Selection of shops

55

Community facilities

46

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Leatherhead has no ‘features’ 42

Leatherhead Theatre is an asset/should be supported

37

Good food & beverage offer in Leatherhead 24

Historic buildings 22

The River 21

Traffic free town centre 17


Leatherhead is a good place to live and work 11

Better quality shops would be welcomed 10

Excellent transport links 10

When invited to make comments on the ‘best’ features in Leatherhead town centre, the most commonly mentioned was that the river needs to made more of a feature for Leatherhead (44 respondents). Another often repeated remark was that people felt that Leatherhead does not currently have any noteworthy features (41). The Leatherhead Theatre is considered to be an asset and should be supported (36 respondents).

Table 3.2: What would you consider to be Leatherhead Town Centre’s best feature.

Comments mentioned by less than 10 respondents are not included in this table.

“Leatherhead is historic and we have the river which makes it quite a nice looking place to be. Modernisation of that too much will detract from this fact. Leatherhead needs to keep some of its history and character”.

“It’s a nice place to live and work, with a good mix of

interesting landscapes (the river) and local eateries and

shops”.

“The bookshop is gorgeous as are some of the new flats or offices near there”.

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Respondents were asked to choose their top priority for improving Leatherhead town centre, 1075 people responded to this question. The top priority, far outweighing any other response, from 546 respondents, was to attract new shops to Leatherhead (60%)

Q3. What is your top priority for improving Leatherhead town centre?


Graph 3.3: What is your top priority for improving Leatherhead town centre.

“Fundamentally the fabric of the high street needs to be improved

to attract inward investment. It doesn’t need to have massive stores or anchoring shopping

centre, but a decent high street that will attract good brands

and provide the footfall to also support good local business”.

No.

of

resp

onse

s

Attracting new shops

546

Reducing the impact of traffic on the town centre

110

Improving the quality of outside

space

96

Developing the evening economy

80

Other

77

Providing new

community facilities

39

Delivring new homes

27

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Improve accessibility to Leatherhead 45


Independent shops encouraged in Leatherhead 39





Shoe shops needed 20

Better clothes shops 19

Night-time economy needs improving 18


Epsom a good example 16




Butchers needed 14


Improve the 1 way system 11

Marks & Spencer 11

New homes needed 11

Vacant shops need to be used 11

No parking should be allowed in the High Street 10

Too many food & beverage outlets 10

In the additional comments section the most commonly repeated theme was retail. 113 respondents stated that they would like a wider range of shops available in Leatherhead. A further 85 stated that the availability of better quality shops would be their top priority for Leatherhead town centre. Other areas for improvement mentioned were the need to improve parking (45) and accessibility (45) into and around Leatherhead.

Table 3.3: What is your top priority for improving Leatherhead Town Centre. Comments

mentioned by less than 10 respondents are not included in this table.

“There seem to be a lot of shops at the cheaper end, dominated by a large supermarket. It just doesn’t have a nice feel, and there are very few specialised shops and a lot of charity shops”.

“In particular the riverside which has such potential but can seem rather unloved”.

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Respondents were asked if they had any other ideas they would like to see incorporated in the Leatherhead town centre Masterplan. 723 people made comments in response to this question. The key themes raised were retail, parking and accessibility.

Retail

The need for a wider variety of retail outlets was mentioned by 76 respondents, A further 43 mentioned that better quality shops than the existing offer would be welcomed.

Parking

The need for improved parking facilities in Leatherhead was stated by 68 respondents, with another 38 respondents stating that free short term parking would be beneficial.

Accessibility

52 respondents stated that accessibility into and around Leatherhead is an issue, with a further 43 respondents stating that the current one-way system needs improving or replacing.

The River

Of the comments received, 67 respondents stated that the River Mole is a great asset for Leatherhead, but it is felt that more needs to be made of the feature. The need to make more of a feature of the river was also widely mentioned (67 respondents)

Q4. Do you have any other ideas you would like to see incorporated in the Leatherhead town centre masterplan?


“Get rid of one way system and allow parking in the town centre by the shops. Would encourage

more people in with better access. Shops are limited. Need more variety and better quality. Swan Centre is an eyesore and

needs to be redeveloped and modernised”.

Which of the following would encourage you to spend more time in Leatherhead town centre? Pick a maximum of 3

Improved shops

Improved selection of food and drink outlets

Improved range of services (banks, health, community)

More events within the town centre

Better car parking facilities

More attractive outside spaces

More markets (indoor and outdoor)

More leisure facilities (sport / entertainment)

Better pedestrian and cycle routes

Better access for vehicles

Other - please specify

Tell us more about your choices What is your top priority for improving Leatherhead town centre?

Pick one only

Delivering new homes

Improving the quality of outside space

Providing new community facilities

Reducing the impact of traffic on the town centre

Attracting new shops

Developing the evening economy


Tell us more about your choices

What do you consider to be Leatherhead town centre’s best feature?

Historic buildings

Public transport links

A sense of community

Selection of shops

Restaurants / cafes

The river

Community facilities

Open spaces


Mole Valley District Council (MVDC) is preparing a masterplan to consider the future role of the town centre and identify how Leatherhead can achieve the potential it deserves as an important historic market town in the heart of Surrey.

A key element of this will be to agree a vision for Leatherhead town centre with residents and businesses, from which short, medium and long term actions can be agreed. To assist us with this please complete a questionnaire, place in an envelope and post it back to us using the Freepost name below. (Please write in CAPITALS – No stamp or other address details required)

FREEPOST MOLE VALLEY DISTRICT COUNCIL

Alternatively you can complete the questionnaire online at: www.molevalley.gov.uk/transformleatherhead

All your responses and comments will be looked at and will be taken into consideration when developing the vision. We will then be developing a masterplan and there will be further consultation on this later this year.

Transform Leatherhead: Baseline Consultation Questionnaire

Please place an ‘X’ in the appropriate boxes.

1. 2.

3.

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Independent shops encouraged in Leatherhead

39







Better quality food and beverage offer required

27


Night-time economy needs improving to encourage use by younger people

24

Demolish Swan Centre 22

Swan Centre Car Park needs improvements/ very narrow

22

Town not visible 22

Cycle routes needed 20


Leatherhead Theatre is an asset/should be supported

19


Cinema 17

Marks & Spencer 17

More town centre activities / events needed 17

Improved youth offer needed 16

Better public transport 15

Free parking 15

Epsom a good example 14

Improvement Leatherhead Theatre 14

Too many food & beverage outlets 14


Encourage a café culture 12

Join Church Street to North Street / Bridge Street

12

No parking should be allowed in the High Street

12

Butchers needed 11

Make outdoor dining space available 11

Remove current public art/feature 11

Improve the cleanliness of Leatherhead 10

More seating needed 10

A roof is needed on the Swan Centre 10

Table 3.4: Further ideas to be incorporated in the Leatherhead Town Centre

masterplan. Comments mentioned by less than 10 respondents are not

included in this table.

“Open high street to traffic all day, more people would stop and shop rather than having to pay to park and walk to shops”.

“Lower business rates to encourage independent traders to come into the town. At the moment it’s nearly all national chains for everyday shopping, but not enough to encourage people to shop here rather than go to Epsom or Dorking”.

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“Manage congestion better - car park at the Swan Centre is badly laid out”

“Leatherhead is an attractive town, especially on an early Summer’s

evening when people are sat outside the pubs and restaurants.

The river is a bonus”

“There is enough cafes restaurants to attract people to Leatherhead also the variety is good,

this is good for the local community”

“I like the atmosphere of Leatherhead, except for the Swan Centre which is a carbuncle and sucks the character out of the rest of the town centre”

“Allowing more evening options in Leatherhead will encourage younger people to go there”

“Make Leatherhead more of a shopping destination.

Reducing rent to encourage better quality shops in.”

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“A better, more logical layout of the town centre as I miss so many shops as I don’t need to walk up certain streets”

“Make more of the beautiful area near the

bridge over the Mole”

“Opening up Leatherhead High

Street. Cars by-pass Leatherhead and don’t

know what is there.”

“We really value the towns historical view, the river and the

open spaces”

“More independent shops and good quality chains. Less charity shops”

“Better quality shops would improve the social feel of

Leatherhead and improve the economy of the area”

“Inadequate car parking in town centre and poorly designed layout leads to unnecessary queues and is a major reason why I don’t visit

more frequently ”

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Postcards were distributed to circa 25,000 households in Leatherhead and the surrounding area providing details of forthcoming events and providing the opportunity to suggest ‘One change to Leatherhead town centre’ and freepost back, 362 were returned. The key themes were very similar to those received via the questionnaire responses, being retail, parking and accessibility. 41 respondents stated that a wider range of shops in Leatherhead would be welcomed. Improved parking facilities were mentioned by 37 respondents and a further 20 stated that free short term parking would be desirable. In terms of accessibility, 24 respondents suggest that opening up the High Street to traffic would be beneficial.

5 / Postcard responses

Comment received No. of responses





Improve pavements and walkways 20

Demolish the Swan Centre 18



Independent shops encouraged in Leatherhead 16


Free parking 13


Fast food restaurants 12


12





10

Table 4.1: One change for Leatherhead Town Centre. Comments mentioned

by less than 10 respondents are not included in this table.

www.molevalley.gov.uk/transformleatherhead

IF YOU COULD MAKE ONE CHANGE TO LEATHERHEAD TOWN CENTRE WHAT WOULD IT BE?

26- 27 JUNE 2015

COME ALONG TO AN EVENT TO FIND OUT MORE ON THE

Mole Valley District Council is preparing a Masterplan for the future of Leatherhead town centre. We want your views to assist us in developing the plans and proposals.

As part of the first stage of consultation we are holding two public exhibitions on issues and opportunities for the town centre. At the exhibitions you will be able to speak to a member of the consultant team and complete a questionnaire. The exhibitions will take place in Leatherhead High Street on:

Friday 26 June: 10am-6pm Saturday 27 June: 9am-2pm

For those who are particularly interested in getting involved we will also be undertaking:

• A Walk and Talk tour of the town centre at 11am on each day

• A Workshop to discuss key issues and opportunities at 2pm on each day

If you would like to attend a walk and talk tour and / or a workshop please e-mail using the address below or call 01306 879297 to find out more and register your interest.

If you could make one change to Leatherhead town centre what would it be?

To complete a questionnaire or to find out more visit: www.molevalley.gov.uk/transformleatherhead

To register your interest e-mail: [email protected]

Your Postcode:

Address:

Please cut and send your suggestion in an envelope to: FREEPOST MOLE VALLEY DISTRICT COUNCIL

(Please write the address in CAPITALS - No stamp or other address details required)

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“Get traffic into the town centre instead of diverting it around the edge”.

“Demolish the swan centre and

start again”

“Better shops - a mix of chain and independent and one department store to bring people in”

“Abolish the one way system!”

“Improve parking facilities particulary access in the multi-

storey car park

“Level out the dangerous uneven surfaces outside

the post office and nearby areas”.

“Have fewer restaurants and charity shops hence better 'useful' and quality shops”.

“To preserve the theatre”.

“Make better use of the area around the river - somewhere to sit/cafe”

“Get a JD Sports”.“Put a roof on the Swan

Centre - make it inviting and comfortable”.

“Attract new business by attractive rental rates”

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Exhibition board responses

Over the course of the Community Planning Weekend held on 26th and 27th June 2015, a series of exhibition boards were displayed which allowed members of the public to make comments on Leatherhead using ‘post-it notes’, a summary of comments received can be found opposite.

The most repeated comment was that a wider range of shops was needed in Leatherhead town centre.

6 / Additional engagement

Community Planning Weekend

Comments No. of comments









Independent shops encouraged in Leatherhead

4






Cinema 3

Cycle routes needed 3


Free parking 3



Improve pavements and walkways 3


3

Marks & Spencer 3

Shoe shops needed 3


3

Walks along the river mole 3

Resident parking permits 3

Table 5.1: Comments received during Community Planning Weekend.

Comments mentioned by less than 3 respondents are not included in this

table.

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Throughout the duration of the Community Planning Weekend a ‘vox-pop’ booth was available for members of the public to use to record their views on Leatherhead town centre. Thirty videos were made over the course of the 2 days and the common themes stated included the need for a larger variety of shops in the town centre (13), an improved night-time economy (7) and the need for better parking provision (6).

Vox-pop booth

“I would put some nice bars and a nightclub into Leatherhead”.

“I think we should get more parking space in the town centre, because at the moment there are few parking spaces and people really struggle to get one of them”.

“I’d like to see a greater range of shops in Leatherhead town centre, we’ve got enough hairdressers and mobile phone shops etc, but a little more variety would

do”.


“A new town centre”.

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Over the Community Planning Weekend (26th and 27th June 2015) the masterplanning team took two guided walk and talk tours around the town centre. All members of the public were invited to join the tours.

The tours provided an opportunity for debate and discussion prompted by viewing the physical features of the town centre and the context in which the different areas of the town centre are set. The general themes and ideas discussed during the tours can be summarised as follows:

• Improvements to the River Mole

• An agreed need for new housing

• Retain trees

• Establish a market – noting the French Market was a success with over 4,000 people attending

• Create a new café – pop-up, or consid-er a café with a cycling focus

• Consider introducing ‘local currency’, which would provide a 10% discount in town centre shops

• Construct a new multi-storey car park – possibly on the Red House Gardens Site with housing above

• More car parking, particularly short-stay

• Provide a community hub

• Public art

• One-way system needs improvements

• Improve shop-fronts

Walkabouts


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On 24th June 2015 the masterplanners held two consecutive two hour workshops. One with members of the Members Reference Group, made up of several Councillors, and the other with the Community Members Reference Group, on which selected members of the community sit. The overarching aim of the workshops was to discuss and identify their key aspirations for the masterplan.

The masterplanners facilitated a number of short exercises which required the participants to discuss in groups key themes and topics they wished the masterplan to address. The outcomes of the exercises are summarised in brief below.

An “ice breaker” exercise was used to ‘kick-off’ the workshop. This exercise required the members to select one word which they believed best described Leatherhead town centre. Listed below are a selection of the words chosen:

The aim of the next exercise was to identify words and/or phrases that should be incorporated and considered as part of the masterplan vision for Leatherhead town centre. The need for more housing, and in particular affordable housing was a common topic selected. Further to that, environmental enhancements, including better river access and attractions, in addition to improvements to the retail offer were also identified by each of the groups. A number of exemplary town centres were identified, including Ludlow, Frome, and Godalming.

‘Masterplans’ produced by the workshops

Workshops

• Characterless

• Small

• Congested

• Pretty

• Dowdy

• Poor

• Depressing

• Congested

• Dull

• Disappointing

• Backward-looking

• Depressed

• Underperforming

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In terms of words or phrases that should not be included in the vision participants identified the following; ‘high profile’, ‘exclusive’, ‘one of Surrey’s premier town centres’ and ‘high rise’.

Following this the participants were asked to focus on a particular theme relevant to the delivery of the masterplanning vision for Leatherhead and consider key objectives for the masterplan relevant to that theme. The ideas generated during this exercise covered a number of topics. The key ideas are summarised below:

• Shopping and the evening economy -

o Enhance the retail offer including more independent shops

o Improve customer service

o Establish a market for a “market town”

o Refurbish the Swan Centre

• Leisure and culture -

o Establish a mixed used community hub, including: library, performance space, venue hire, and rental space for small to medium size enterprises

o Redevelop the Theatre

o Consider establishing leisure uses along the banks of the River Mole

o Improve links to the Leisure Centre

• Housing -

o More affordable housing

o Some potential sites for housing in the town centre

• Movement and accessibility -

o Improve pedestrian/cycle links, especially between the town centre, Railway Station and River

o Better linkages between the Business Parks and the town centre

o Improve ‘pinch points’ in the road network

• Environment and design -

o Reassess the role of the River and consider the addition of more river crossings and pathways along the banks

o Leatherhead Bridge (bottom of Bridge Street) could be used as key access point into town centre

The final exercise required the participants to select one word to describe what Leatherhead will be like in 20 years’ time. The selected words included:

• Exciting

• Attractive

• Visionary

• Terrific

• Comfortable

• Vibrant / Busy / Buzzing

• Easily accessible

• Entrepreneurial market town

• Welcoming

• Buzzy

• Attractive

• Viable

• Must-go-town


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In the morning of the 24th June 2015 the masterplanners hosted a ‘business breakfast’ with several senior management members and office managers of large organisations based in Leatherhead. The businesses represented provide a significant amount of employment in the area, employing between 8,000-9,000 people in total.

The key themes and topics discussed are summarised below:

• Lack of facilities provided within the town centre:

o Employees are unlikely to frequent to the town centre on their lunch breaks, or before/after work.

o Town centre is “dead” in the evening.

o A large proportion of the businesses provide on-site facilities and services, including, cafes, bars, and hair salons.

o Some businesses provide lunch time shuttle services to other local centres e.g. Cobham.

• Difficulty in attracting young people and graduates:

o Most young people want to live close to London.

o Businesses have adopted different incentives to encourage young people, such as flexibility in working from different locations, and apprenticeships.

o Lack of housing

• Transport / accessibility:

o Improvements to Junction 9 of the M25 required. Current congestion issues cause issues for staff. Employees offered flexible working hours to avoid traffic.

o Poor cycling paths and links. Employers concerned for staff safety cycling in the area.

o More frequent and faster train links between Leatherhead and London. This would allow businesses to have better access to clients and encourage employees living in and around London to consider working in Leatherhead.

o Consider supporting CrossRail 2 linking with Leatherhead.

o Provision of taxi service is limited.

Business Breakfast


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On 25th June 2015 the consultation team facilitated several interactive workshops at a local secondary school (Therfield School). Over 500 students participated in the workshops throughout the day.

The students were asked to consider and share their views on the positives and negatives of the existing town centre, and identify their ideal town centre would include. Nearly 650 ideas were shared by the students.

The feedback from the workshops is summarised in the table opposite.

Workshop with Therfield School


Leisure Centre 34

Retail provision 31

Food outlets 29

Parks/Green Spaces 27

Subway 27

Sainsbury 20

Costa 16

River 16

Chicken Royal 14

Greggs 8

Skate Park 8

Theatre 8

Argos 7

Open spaces 7

Lidl 6

Card Factory 5

Easy access 5

Nail shops 5

Recreation/Leisure 5

Table 5.2: Positives of Leatherhead. Comments mentioned by less than 5

respondents are not included in this table.

Positives of Leatherhead

The predominant ideas shared by the students when asked about the positives of the town centre included the leisure centre (34), retail provision (31), and the green spaces and parks (27). A large proportion of the positives identified by the students related to the town’s existing food outlets, representing almost half of the 370 ideas shared. The most popular food outlets identified were Subway (27), Costa (16) and Chicken Royal (14).

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Negatives of Leatherhead

A total of 117 ideas were shared with regards to the negatives of the town centre. When asked to identify the negatives of the existing town centre, a large number of the students said the shops are unappealing, lacking in variety and not catering to young people (23). With regards to the shopping provision, students stated there is a lack of big retailers and ‘known’ shops (6), too many charity shops (4) and there are no shops for young people (3).

A number of students stated they did not like that Leatherhead was dirty and that there is litter around (11). Twelve comments related to Leatherhead being dull and dead.

Ideal Town Centre

A total of 159 ideas (many from group discussion as opposed to individual) were shared by the students about their ideal town centre. The majority of ideas related to better shops and more food outlets. The most commonly requested shops were JD Sports (8), Topshop (7) and Primark (7). With regards to food outlets, the most popular were McDonalds (10) and Nando’s (9).

Other common ideas included creating more green open spaces (5), improving the town centre parking (4) and enhancing the Skate Park (3).


Retail provision 23

Boring/Dull/Dead 12

Litter/Dirty 11

Swan Centre 6

Layout 5

Table 5.4 Ideal town centre. Comments mentioned by less than 5


Table 5.3: Negatives of Leatherhead. Comments mentioned by less than 5



More shops/variety 14

McDonalds 10

Nando’s 9

Cinema 8

JD 8

Primark 7

TopShop 7

More/better food outlets 7

Town Centre Plans

The students were also asked to draw on a sheet of paper on what their ideal town centre would look like. An overriding theme of the plans produced was to have areas of the town centre dedicated for different people and age groups, such as an area dedicated to the elderly with care home facilities and open spaces for young people. Another common request was for more recreation areas, such as Skate Parks. Improving the retail offer was also a common idea represented on their plans. Many suggested activites on the river such as water sports.


Workshop with Therfield School

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Throughout the consultation period representatives from the project team attended a number of Village Days and Market Days. At each public event an information stall was displayed. Representatives spoke to community members about the project and handed out postcards which set out key details about how members of the public could get involved, people were also encouraged to leave comments on ‘post it notes’ on Leatherhead and what changes they would like to see. A total of 165 comments were received, and the responses are summarised opposite. The most repeated comment was the need for improvements to be made to the current one way system (8 comments), followed by a wider range and better quality of shops for the town centre (7 each).

Village Planning Days and Informal Meetings


Comments No. of responses





Improved signage needed 6







Live music 4

Affordable housing needed for young local residents

3

Better quality food and beverage offer required

3



Leatherhead needs a focal point 3

New homes needed 3



Walks along the River Mole 3

Table 5.5: Comment s received at Village Planning Days. Comments

mentioned by less than 3 respondents are not included in this table.

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Informal meetings were also held with BFree Youth Café, St John’s School, Youth Voice, The Fairfield Centre, and the Leatherhead Rotary Club. Again, people were encouraged to make comments. 129 remarks were received, a summary of which can be found opposite Retail was the key theme mentioned with people stating that a wider range of shops was required in Leatherhead (9 comments).







Better public transport 4


Cinema 4





Nothing to do in Leatherhead 3

Guildford a good example 3

Table 5.6: Comment s received at informal meetings. Comments mentioned

by less than 3 respondents are not included in this table.

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Documents

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