Vision for Esher town centre

Consultation on the Vision for Esher town centre.

Why do you go to Esher? Visit the cinema? Go to the theatre? Work? The Farmers Market? Or to simply drive through it?

The reality is that often people aren’t sure about Esher. Yes, the entertainment is good – grab a pizza and a movie with family or friends. Go on a date night to a comedy show at Esher Theatre. Head to the pub to watch the rugby with your mates or fancy your chances at a Sandown race day.

What else is going on in Esher? You can nip to the supermarket, visit the hairdresser, barber or skin specialist. The Farmers' Market is a welcome addition on the third Saturday of each month and cyclists flock to the cafes before they set off in the Surrey hills.

Is there more going on than you thought? What's missing? What could be improved? These are the thoughts and questions we are exploring as part of this consultation.

What is the consultation about?

As we consider the future potential of the Civic Centre site, we are aware of the opportunity it presents to reposition Esher as a vibrant, diverse town centre, providing residents and visitors with the opportunity to socialise, to come together and take part in shared fun activities.

We have drafted a 'Vision' for Esher town centre which focuses on key principles. We want to take the principles of sustainable, thriving and community and create a vision for Esher, a vision created in consultation with the community, and one which will guide and inform development in the town. It is therefore important that we consult with residents, businesses and stakeholders and seek your views on the draft visions and objectives.

It has never been more important for Esher to come together to discuss and debate its future. Working together we can establish a vision for the town that enhances the lives of our residents, that encourages enterprise and business and that attracts visitors wanting to be part of this vibrant town centre.

The Visions key principles

We can establish Esher as the civic heart of Elmbridge, a town that welcomes both office employment and nurtures start-up businesses of all kinds from digital services through to artisan jewellers.

In all potential scenarios for Esher, the high street would and should retain its importance to the town and would be supported by improved streetscapes – perhaps a treelined high street allowing for pavement café culture and a central outdoor meeting space facilitating markets, cultural events - creativity and culture igniting our civic heart.

Increasing cycling and walking to, from and around Esher would be enabled. Connected cycle and walking routes are a necessity to a sustainable Elmbridge and that of course applies to Esher as well. Improving active travel in Esher will contribute to cleaner air, helping us all leave the car at home more often.

Sustainable living will also be exemplified in Esher. While surrounded by commons and green spaces, the town itself lacks a green space for children to play, for residents and visitors to meet friends, for workers to eat their lunch, for anyone to take time out and breathe.

We want to hear your views!

If you would like to comment on the Esher Vision, the consultation will run from Wednesday 01 March and closes on Friday 31 March 2023

To review and comment on the Vision for Esher town centre please click here.

All comments must be received by 4pm on 31 March 2023

If you are aware of anyone without internet access, who may require a hard copy these can be provided, by our Business Support Team. To obtain a copy of the Vision document, questionnaire and privacy notice you can email the team at tplan@elmbridge.gov.uk or call us on 01372 474474. Hard copy response forms will not be processed and will be sent back if the attached privacy notice is not ticked when returning comments.  

We are unable to accept anonymous responses and your name and responses will be published after the consultation finishes. Please see our Planning Policy Privacy Notice for more information.

If you require any assistance filling out the online consultation questions please e-mail tplan@elmbridge.gov.uk or call us on 01372474474.

What happens next?

On Tuesday 07 March we will be hosting a ‘drop in’ event for members of the public. This drop in session is specific to the Esher Vision and provides members of the public the opportunity to review the Vision documentation and to also discuss their views with our team here in Planning and Environmental Health.

The drop in will be hosted at our main reception between 1-6pm here at the Civic Centre, High Street, Esher, KT10 9SD -  and is open to everyone; there is no need to pre-book

Following this consultation, all comments on the Esher Vision will be considered and where appropriate amended. It will then be considered by the Council for approval later in the year.

Elmbridge Vision launch?

On the evening of 7 March, we are also inviting residents, businesses, and local partners to the Civic Centre in Esher to hear more about Elmbridge Vision 2030.

Timings:

6-7pm arrival and networking Meeting some of our partner organisations such as Surrey Police, The River Thames Scheme and our waste partners Joint Waste Solutions. You can also talk to us about the Esher Vision at this time.

7-8pm Vision 2030 launch Hear from The Leader, Cllr Chris Sadler, the Deputy Leader Cllr Bruce McDonald and the Chief Executive, Adam Chalmers. There will also be time for questions and answers.

Register your attendance at the launch event via Eventbrite

For those that cannot attend, this event will be available via webcast.