Future of Walton
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WoTTA is looking forward to the future. A future that's bright for Walton!
Survey re High Street Partial Timed Pedestrianisation In the post-COVID-19 lockdown era, we asked residents and town centre businesses for their views on the partial, timed pedestrianisation of Walton-on-Thames High Street. The results are in! Thank you to everyone who completed our High Street Partially Times Pedestrian Survey over the summer holiday period. We had 622 individuals responses of which 95.5% came from Residents and 4.5% from High Street / Central Walton Businesses. Please download the files below to see the full data summary and the WoTTA Analysis Report which was submitted to Elmbridge Borough Council officials and Portfolio Holder for Community and Corporate Development, Christine Elmer. After input from all Walton Councillors, no formal decision has been made to pursue or cancel this idea. However, the immediate action has been to engage with Surrey Highways, with whom WoTTA have been discussing potential changes and the long term structure of the High Street for several years, to share the survey and to request their input and an update on their review of Walton High Street. We will keep this page updated and should we have feedback from Surrey Highways this will be reported at our forthcoming AGM on 21 September (register here to attend online) when a survey overview is reported to attendees. |
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| wotta_summary_of_high_street_2020_survey.pdf |
| pedestrian_survey_responses_to_questions_-_no_comments.pdf |
| survey_-_q7_benefits_of_pedestrianisation.pdf |
| q8_residents_preferred_option.pdf |
Survey re High Street Partial Timed Pedestrianisation (August 2020)
As we move through the safe reopening of our town centre WoTTA have been looking into ways to further encourage visitors back into our town and strengthen our high street.
Even with the updated central government guidance on social distancing, other towns have realised that feeling safe requires more space than before Covid-19 - for accessing shops, queuing and for outdoor seating for cafes and restaurants.
With government backing many towns have now implemented some form of temporary pedestrianisation of their High Streets to create a family-friendly, secure,'cafe-culture' environment which, in turn, helps make the town an appealing destination for visitors.
In Walton we realise that, like every town, there will be residents, visitors and businesses who support this idea, and those who don't. We have been approached by people both in favour and against but would like to understand more about how residents and businesses feel about the opportunity.
To that end we are launching an online survey to garner opinion, spark debate and understand if it’s something locally residents and businesses are interested in, or if it’s an idea to shelve for now. Below is a quick outline of the proposals we'd like views on. The survey ends on 7th August 2020.
Personally we at WoTTA support the idea of timed partial pedestrianisation; from the Church Street/Hepworth Way junction up to Churchfield Road - and avoiding rush hour. Churchfield Road would not be used as the main diversion route, as can be seen from the map above. We understand and respect that Councillors, residents and businesses will have their own views. We'd love to know what they are.
We are looking forward to finding out the views of the town and to help us, encourage you to share this survey with your local contacts and on your social media platforms.
Proposals:
Option A: Monday-Thursday 10:00-16:00 & Friday-Sunday 10:00-23:00
Option B: Friday-Sunday 10:00-23:00
Area of Pedestrianisation: High Street, Walton-on-Thames, from the Hepworth Way/Church Street junction to the Churchfield Road junction.
NB: There are no 30-minute parking bays in this section of the High Street. All of them are outside of the proposed area, so none would be affected. There are two disabled bays outside Subway which would be affected.
As we move through the safe reopening of our town centre WoTTA have been looking into ways to further encourage visitors back into our town and strengthen our high street.
Even with the updated central government guidance on social distancing, other towns have realised that feeling safe requires more space than before Covid-19 - for accessing shops, queuing and for outdoor seating for cafes and restaurants.
With government backing many towns have now implemented some form of temporary pedestrianisation of their High Streets to create a family-friendly, secure,'cafe-culture' environment which, in turn, helps make the town an appealing destination for visitors.
In Walton we realise that, like every town, there will be residents, visitors and businesses who support this idea, and those who don't. We have been approached by people both in favour and against but would like to understand more about how residents and businesses feel about the opportunity.
To that end we are launching an online survey to garner opinion, spark debate and understand if it’s something locally residents and businesses are interested in, or if it’s an idea to shelve for now. Below is a quick outline of the proposals we'd like views on. The survey ends on 7th August 2020.
Personally we at WoTTA support the idea of timed partial pedestrianisation; from the Church Street/Hepworth Way junction up to Churchfield Road - and avoiding rush hour. Churchfield Road would not be used as the main diversion route, as can be seen from the map above. We understand and respect that Councillors, residents and businesses will have their own views. We'd love to know what they are.
We are looking forward to finding out the views of the town and to help us, encourage you to share this survey with your local contacts and on your social media platforms.
Proposals:
Option A: Monday-Thursday 10:00-16:00 & Friday-Sunday 10:00-23:00
Option B: Friday-Sunday 10:00-23:00
Area of Pedestrianisation: High Street, Walton-on-Thames, from the Hepworth Way/Church Street junction to the Churchfield Road junction.
NB: There are no 30-minute parking bays in this section of the High Street. All of them are outside of the proposed area, so none would be affected. There are two disabled bays outside Subway which would be affected.
Coronavirus Has Caused BID Implementation to Be Paused
On Monday March 23rd 2020, the Walton BID Task Group sent this message to all businesses:
'The Walton BID Task Group were incredibly grateful to get the enthusiastic backing of businesses to establish a BID at the ballot announced on the 13th March.
With our high streets and businesses under increasing pressure due to the COVID 19 emergency the Walton BID has decided to pause and delay the launch of the business improvement district.
Following the YES vote the BID Regulations allow up to a year to commence the BID so we will keep the launch date under review over the next few months.
Businesses are going to require all the sort of support a BID may provide when the time comes but for now we need to deal with the immediate challenges.
There are a range of measures that have been announced to try and ease the burden for businesses and we will endeavour to keep you updated on this. Please visit our website to get more information or check out the latest guidance for employers, businesses and employees via
On Monday March 23rd 2020, the Walton BID Task Group sent this message to all businesses:
'The Walton BID Task Group were incredibly grateful to get the enthusiastic backing of businesses to establish a BID at the ballot announced on the 13th March.
With our high streets and businesses under increasing pressure due to the COVID 19 emergency the Walton BID has decided to pause and delay the launch of the business improvement district.
Following the YES vote the BID Regulations allow up to a year to commence the BID so we will keep the launch date under review over the next few months.
Businesses are going to require all the sort of support a BID may provide when the time comes but for now we need to deal with the immediate challenges.
There are a range of measures that have been announced to try and ease the burden for businesses and we will endeavour to keep you updated on this. Please visit our website to get more information or check out the latest guidance for employers, businesses and employees via
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Walton Business Improvement District - it's a YES!
We at WoTTA are delighted that Walton-on-Thames businesses voted to become a Business Improvement District! This has been one of our long-term aims but we knew it would be a long road to see that wish realised today. In one of our first meetings after our inception in April 2016 Danny O’Sullivan - franchisee owner of McDonalds in Walton - suggested a BID was the way to go, but as a new Community Interest Company the Trading Alliance had to first gain the trust of local businesses by delivering on our promises. We did this by running more community events, such as bringing back the Festival of Light and taking over the organisation of Remembrance Sunday. We ran Business Breakfasts, connecting local businesses with charities and community groups. We worked closely with local schools, and also applied for Elmbridge Borough Council funding, spending it improving the look of our town with new flower planters and lovely banners as well as on upcoming play equipment in Ashley Park. But we knew, as a volunteer group with limited funding, we could only do so much. We love our town and wanted to find a way to secure the future for the local events we have created, as well as move forward with bigger and better ideas. We approached the council for support and received fantastic backing with funding, officer and Councillor's support to help get the BID off the ground. Tracey Blandford spearheaded WoTTA’s drive, which began by employing The Mosaic Partnership to run a full feasibility study with local businesses. This indicated there was an appetite for a BID. With further funding secured from the council, we then moved forward to the Development Phase, bringing together a task group of local businesses to help create a Business Plan for the town which businesses have been voting on over the past month, while we’ve waited with bated breath. The whole process has taken us four years, but today we celebrate the fantastic results of all that effort, not least to be the first town in Elmbridge to become a BID. We look forward to a bright future for Walton-on-Thames, working with the BID Committee and the council to continue WoTTA’s aim of making our town a better place to live and work. For more info visit: WaltonBid.co.uk |
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PRESS RELEASE FROM ELMBRIDGE BOROUGH COUNCIL:
Walton businesses back the BID!
Businesses in Walton-on-Thames have voted Yes! to establishing a Business Improvement District (BID) in the town centre.
The BID will deliver approximately £1million of new investment over 5 years, as businesses come together to help revitalise and shape the future of the town centre.
Following consultation with businesses of all sizes in Walton-on-Thames, the focus for the Walton BID will be on delivering projects across four priority themes:
The BID Task Group Chairman, Peter Beggan, Assistant Director for New Business at Paragon Asra (PA) Housing said: “We are delighted that businesses have backed the BID and the positive vision we have to deliver new investment and footfall into the town centre. The BID was developed by businesses for businesses and we believe the BID can build on what makes Walton special while addressing the parts of the town centre that we know need attention.”
Councillor Christine Elmer, Portfolio Holder for Corporate and Community Development at Elmbridge Borough Council said: “The yes vote to establish a BID is great news for all those who run businesses, live, work or visit Walton. BIDs have made a positive impact across the country and as part of the council’s commitment to supporting our high streets, we were happy to fund the development of the BID. We look forward to continuing our partnership with the Walton BID and working together to deliver a more vibrant town centre.”
Joanna Gordon, Managing Director of the Walton-on-Thames Trading Alliance said: “The yes vote is a recognition of the partnership approach that the businesses, the trading alliance and council have developed over the past two years. We have all worked together to develop the BID and I would like to thank everyone for the hard work, funding and time committed to get the project this far. We believe Walton has an incredibly bright future and the BID will be a great success over the next 5 years.”
What is the ‘Walton BID’?The BID was developed to build on the work to kick start the renewal of the town centre by businesses, the Walton-on-Thames Trading Alliance and Elmbridge Borough Council. BIDs are an arrangement whereby businesses come together and decide which improvements they feel could be made in their town or city centre, how they will implement these improvements and what it will cost them. BIDs are financed and controlled by the businesses within the selected area. BIDs deliver additional projects and services over and above those already provided by public bodies. A task group was formed of businesses from across the town centre with representatives from different streets, independents, nationals and local partners to represent and help develop the BID proposals that were backed by businesses with 77% voting YES
Walton businesses back the BID!
Businesses in Walton-on-Thames have voted Yes! to establishing a Business Improvement District (BID) in the town centre.
The BID will deliver approximately £1million of new investment over 5 years, as businesses come together to help revitalise and shape the future of the town centre.
Following consultation with businesses of all sizes in Walton-on-Thames, the focus for the Walton BID will be on delivering projects across four priority themes:
- marketing, promotion and events
- clean and green
- safe, welcoming and accessible
- and backing business.
The BID Task Group Chairman, Peter Beggan, Assistant Director for New Business at Paragon Asra (PA) Housing said: “We are delighted that businesses have backed the BID and the positive vision we have to deliver new investment and footfall into the town centre. The BID was developed by businesses for businesses and we believe the BID can build on what makes Walton special while addressing the parts of the town centre that we know need attention.”
Councillor Christine Elmer, Portfolio Holder for Corporate and Community Development at Elmbridge Borough Council said: “The yes vote to establish a BID is great news for all those who run businesses, live, work or visit Walton. BIDs have made a positive impact across the country and as part of the council’s commitment to supporting our high streets, we were happy to fund the development of the BID. We look forward to continuing our partnership with the Walton BID and working together to deliver a more vibrant town centre.”
Joanna Gordon, Managing Director of the Walton-on-Thames Trading Alliance said: “The yes vote is a recognition of the partnership approach that the businesses, the trading alliance and council have developed over the past two years. We have all worked together to develop the BID and I would like to thank everyone for the hard work, funding and time committed to get the project this far. We believe Walton has an incredibly bright future and the BID will be a great success over the next 5 years.”
What is the ‘Walton BID’?The BID was developed to build on the work to kick start the renewal of the town centre by businesses, the Walton-on-Thames Trading Alliance and Elmbridge Borough Council. BIDs are an arrangement whereby businesses come together and decide which improvements they feel could be made in their town or city centre, how they will implement these improvements and what it will cost them. BIDs are financed and controlled by the businesses within the selected area. BIDs deliver additional projects and services over and above those already provided by public bodies. A task group was formed of businesses from across the town centre with representatives from different streets, independents, nationals and local partners to represent and help develop the BID proposals that were backed by businesses with 77% voting YES
Elmbridge Local Plan
Find out all about the current Local Plan for housing in the Borough for the next 15 years and HAVE YOUR SAY
Find out all about the current Local Plan for housing in the Borough for the next 15 years and HAVE YOUR SAY
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Businesses Working for Business
WoTTA, with the support and funding of Elmbridge Borough Council, have engaged The Mosaic Consulting Partnership to undertake a 'Feasibility Study' into a BID for Walton. BID stands for Business Improvement District. It would be funded and run by businesses in a nominated area of Walton and would work on delivering a mandate of activities. Please read this flyer for more information. |
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EBC Workshop with WoTTA
In order to build on the WoTTA Business Plan, and give the town a strong direction going forward, we decided developing a Vision would support where we'd like the town to be in five years. To that end the Steering Committee went along to a Facilitated Workshop at Elmbridge Borough Council run by EBC Policy Manager Annabel Crouch, who has been updating the 5 year Elmbridge Vision. Doug Perkins, Economic Development Officer at EBC - and a great support for WoTTA at EBC - arranged the Workshop and joined in the process. As the WoTTA team are all volunteers, we could only manage 90 minutes all together, so a dynamic workshop ensued at the Civic Centre in Esher. Among other things we heard that characteristics of a good Vision and Priorities are: feasible, focused, flexible, communicable, imaginable, desirable and compelling. That got us thinking... Working individually and then in groups we brainstormed ideas and key words which we felt reflected our vision of the future for our town. Words that leapt off the page again and again were THRIVING, GREEN, WELCOMING, ACCESSIBLE, EVENTS, SUPPORTING BUSINESS, BRANDING, COMMUNITY. Doug Perkins is now pulling together all the information resulting from the workshop, which WoTTA can incorporate into the Business Plan. And then we can publish it! Following on from that, the next stage will be to conduct a brief survey of other local businesses to find out if the key areas we've identify resonate with them. Once we get a solid, plan for the town, with wide support from business, we can apply for funding and work towards those shared goals. |
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Walton-on-Thames Loves Oxted - press release from Elmbridge Borough Council
The Walton-on-Thames Trading Alliance in partnership with Elmbridge Borough Council have visited the 'Love Oxted' team to learn from neighbouring towns as we continue our work to ensure Walton is a great place to live and work.
Representatives from Walton met with counterparts in Oxted to share ideas for events, town improvements, safety and developing a long-term vision for Walton.
The visit generated lots of new ideas that can build on the work the Walton-on-Thames Trading Alliance has been doing with the Council to improve the streetscene, offer 3 hours of free parking every Saturday, clean up the town with regular litter picks and support businesses with funding for shop fronts and marketing projects.
Joanna Gordon, Managing Director of the Walton-on-Thames Trading Alliance said "The visit was a fantastic opportunity to share ideas and learn from another thriving Surrey town. We have come back with lots of new ideas to support our business plan over the next 12 months."
Councillor Mary Marshall, Portfolio holder for Community and Corporate Development said "It's wonderful to see our local business groups supporting the Council's work to help ensure our town centres continue to thrive. Working together we can continue to see that Walton is a really pleasant place to live and work."
The Walton-on-Thames Trading Alliance in partnership with Elmbridge Borough Council have visited the 'Love Oxted' team to learn from neighbouring towns as we continue our work to ensure Walton is a great place to live and work.
Representatives from Walton met with counterparts in Oxted to share ideas for events, town improvements, safety and developing a long-term vision for Walton.
The visit generated lots of new ideas that can build on the work the Walton-on-Thames Trading Alliance has been doing with the Council to improve the streetscene, offer 3 hours of free parking every Saturday, clean up the town with regular litter picks and support businesses with funding for shop fronts and marketing projects.
Joanna Gordon, Managing Director of the Walton-on-Thames Trading Alliance said "The visit was a fantastic opportunity to share ideas and learn from another thriving Surrey town. We have come back with lots of new ideas to support our business plan over the next 12 months."
Councillor Mary Marshall, Portfolio holder for Community and Corporate Development said "It's wonderful to see our local business groups supporting the Council's work to help ensure our town centres continue to thrive. Working together we can continue to see that Walton is a really pleasant place to live and work."
Business Plan
WoTTA have been doing a great job on organising local events, creating this amazing website, connecting with other local volunteer groups & charities, getting new banners for the town and connecting with local people via social media. However, we haven't made enough progress on our Business Plan and looking at the future as we would like it for Walton.
To that end we were delighted to be able to pursuade Richard Meade to join us on the Steering Committee with responsibility for the Business Plan.
As a long term Walton man, Richard recently retired as Manager of the Sainsburys in town. In that role he was on the WoTTA Steering Committee but left us when he retired. After a brief few months to relax, he's now on board again, this time agreeing to lead the charge on the Business Plan. Already we've moved on in leaps and bounds and have a draft nearly ready to go. Thanks so much Richard!
WoTTA have been doing a great job on organising local events, creating this amazing website, connecting with other local volunteer groups & charities, getting new banners for the town and connecting with local people via social media. However, we haven't made enough progress on our Business Plan and looking at the future as we would like it for Walton.
To that end we were delighted to be able to pursuade Richard Meade to join us on the Steering Committee with responsibility for the Business Plan.
As a long term Walton man, Richard recently retired as Manager of the Sainsburys in town. In that role he was on the WoTTA Steering Committee but left us when he retired. After a brief few months to relax, he's now on board again, this time agreeing to lead the charge on the Business Plan. Already we've moved on in leaps and bounds and have a draft nearly ready to go. Thanks so much Richard!