London council in search of partner for £500m regeneration scheme

Sutton council has fired the starting gun on its search for a development partner on a £500m town centre regeneration scheme.

The London local authority wants to appoint a partner for a 10-year job to drive forward plans to redevelop four sites in the centre of Sutton on the southern fringes of the capital.

St Nicholas Shopping Centre, Secombe Theatre, Gibson Road Car Park and the Civic Centre have all been earmarked for redevelopment, with the proposals also including the construction of a new civic hub for the council.

Around 1,000 homes, 180,000 sq ft of commercial space and new public realm will also be built under the plans.

The council has set out a list of objectives for the scheme, including creating an “attractive and distinctive” identity for the town centre, ensuring the development is “as close as possible” to carbon neutral in operation, and commercial viability.

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Councillors also said the scheme needs to enhance connectivity and accessibility in the town centre, provide all necessary social and community infrastructure and increase the borough’s amount of affordable housing.

The procurement process is expected to shortlist five candidates, with a deadline of 17 November to express interest. Invitations to tender will then be sent out to selected candidates on 8 December.