Redhill: Have your say on its future (From Redhill And Reigate Life)

Redhill: Have your say on its future

1:56pm Friday 2nd May 2008

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REDHILL Reigate Horley Life has teamed up with Tribal Urban Studio, the master-planners appointed to oversee the regeneration of Redhill, to ask residents what they like and don't like about their town.

Tribal Urban Studio has started work on identifying the issues that need addressing to make Redhill a better town to live, shop and work in and they need your help.

Ben Castell, from Tribal Urban Studio, said: "People know that a lot of work has been done recently on the issues facing Redhill, and we need to know if these are still the main issues that bother people, or if anything else needs addressing."

Issues already identified include:

Transport

Many walking and cycling routes in the town centre are unpleasant, unsafe, inconvenient and indirect.

Bus services and facilities are not meeting the existing or future needs of passengers.

Main roads around the town centre are congested, particularly during peak hours.

Convenient car parking is not always available and can be difficult to access.

Public space

The town centre has few public spaces, they are poorly connected and sometimes poorly maintained and uninviting and do not meet the needs of the public.

Links between the railway station, bus station and town centre are poor.

Buildings

There is no consistency in building design and this contributes to the town's poor image.

There are no landmark buildings.

Shopping

The town's shopping offer is limited and existing units provide little scope for expansion.

Leisure and culture

The town's leisure and culture offer is limited and existing facilities need improvement.

Community services

The town is home to a range of community services but buildings are not all fit for purpose.

Jobs and business

The town has a strong office base providing significant local employment but there is a lack of diversity in office sizes and types.

Housing

Few people live in the town centre, increasing distances people travel to work and reinforcing the perception that the town centre is isolated and unsafe, particularly at night.

Environmental sustainability

There is a need to improve the environmental sustainability - e.g. renewable energy generation - in the town centre.

Are these things you feel need addressing or is there something missing? Let us know by joining the debate. Add your comment below.

The Redhill master plan will provide a clear direction on how best to plan for new homes and shops over the next 15 years and identify improvements needed to make the works possible. At the end of May a public consultation on the issues and options facing Redhill will be held with manned exhibitions being held at the Belfry Shopping Centre and The Harlequin.

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