Love Wimbledon, the business improvement district (BID) launched to lobby on behalf of town centre businesses, has outlined its vision for the coming year.

Stakeholders, enterprises and residents gathered at Tuition House, St George's Road, for a consultation on Wednesday evening.

Helen Clark-Bell, BID manager, outlined plans to introduce food recycling bins, bulk-buying operations for businesses, more parking in the town centre, a cleaner railway station frontage and re-open vacant shops.

Popular pop-up events, 'Winter Wonderland', 'Big Screen Tennis' and the 'Ride London Street Party' are scheduled to return this year, after attracting thousands of extra visitors to the town.

Residents and retailers voiced concerns about the lack of investment in South Wimbledon, gum and litter on the streets, the shortage of trees and public seating areas and the proliferation of betting shops around the Broadway.

Mrs Clark-Bell said: "Compared to other high streets, we are fortunate we have only had two additional betting shops in the last year, but unfortunately we are driven by market demand and if a landlord wants to rent to a betting shops, they can."

She pledged to continue to keep streets clean after running a high-impact anti-gum campaign, jetwashing, introducing time banding for rubbish collections and saving retailers almost £17,000 through their recycling service in 2013.

Plans are under way to create an "urban oasis" or "carbon space" for workers at lunchtime as well as the development and promotion of the Wimbledon Way, a heritage walk between the town centre and The All England LawnTennis Club.

Following on from the Future Wimbledon conference last September, they will be launching an open competition in March, inviting people to imagine Wimbledon in 20 to 40 years time.

Paul Windsor, chairman of the Love Wimbledon board, said: "We want to encourage the right sort of investment in Wimbledon and the right sort of planning.

"The competition will help inform the council, through Love Wimbledon, the sort of town centre we want Wimbledon to be. Entries will go on public display in central London."

Love Wimbledon is a not-for-profit company founded in April 2012 to promote town centre trade and is funded by a collective levy from eligible traders.

JOIN US ON FACEBOOK

 

TODAY'S TOP STORIES