Taxis and cars could be banned from Surbiton station’s forecourt, under new plans for a revamp of Surbiton town centre.

The new designs have been revealed by Kingston Council and include wider pavements, decluttered streets and more trees.

The project, which cost millions of pounds, is set to take more than five years to complete.

The station forecourt will see the biggest change, with a taxi rank and car park swapped for an open public square, and possible market.

A service road running between Victoria Road and the train line could be opened up as a taxi rank, an idea which has initially proved unpopular with cabbies.

Barry Woodley, who works from the Surbiton rank, said: “I think the drivers will be horrified and the customers will be too.

“To not have the access to the taxis as they come out of the station with cases or bags, and make them walk however far, doesn’t seem feasible.”

The plans were drawn up after 1,000 people filled in a questionnaire and dozens more came to idea-sharing workshops.

Early suggestions of closing the main shopping street Victoria Road or making it one-way have already been scrapped, following the feedback.

Gary Walsh, head of neighbourhoods at Kingston Council, said: “The message we got was to retain the character but bring it up to date to attract new shops and keep current shops here.”

He said too many people pass through Surbiton and they want to make it a place for people to visit.

Last year, red-faced councillors realised they had lost a £110,000 payment from a property developer which would have funded the service road extension behind Victoria Road.

The Section 106 payment, which developers pay as a condition on planning permission, had expired because it was not claimed within 10 years.

Mr Walsh said it was something the authority “has to live with” but there are new developers who would contribute to this project.

Kingston Council is seeking more feedback about the plans before pressing ahead.

Public exhibitions will be held at Surbiton YMCA on Thursday and Friday, September 24 and 25, and at Surbiton Festival on Saturday, September 26. For details of other exhibitions call 020 8547 5929.

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