PLANS are in place to improve Teddington and Hampton Hill town centres, Richmond Council has revealed.

Proposals have been put forward to give Broad street in Teddington a makeover by decluttering it, renovating street furniture and repairing the pavement.

There are also plans to create a 'square' for Hampton Hill's parade of shops, with the view that this could be used for local events.

The Broad Street proposals, submitted by local councillors and Teddington Together, are now going to an urban designer for review, while the Hampton Hill square is undergoing a 'naming exercise.'

Upgrades are also planned for public spaces in East Twickenham, Whitton, Heathfield and Ham Parade.

Ideas for the improvements came from Community Conversations held by the Council last year.

The conversations were themed around town centres and public places and saw residents take part in small group workshops for each ward.

Overall, people want to see key services like post offices retained, support for small businesses and flexible public spaces suitable for a range of uses.

'Green and clean' high streets and sustainable shops are important to residents, as is the local visitor economy, according to the Council.

Teddington councillor Richard Baker, Lead Member for Business and Growth at Richmond Council commented on the findings and improvement schemes.

He said: "The future of high streets is obviously not an issue unique to our borough – long before the pandemic impacted our local businesses, we were already feeling the effects of bricks and mortar competing with digital. Demand for online shopping and food deliveries has resulted in dwindling footfall.

"What the pandemic did do, was strengthen our local communities and many businesses were at the heart of this – providing support to the most vulnerable and giving people a focus in their local area.

"People reconnected with their neighbourhood and now is our chance to work together to improve these areas and ensure high streets, and the businesses that populate them, thrive for many years to come.

"I'm grateful to all those that turned out to our Community Conversation events and gave us insightful, creative and valuable feedback and ideas. I am delighted that we are already seeing some of those come to life, and in many cases these schemes are being driven forward by local people.

"There will be many more opportunities for people to have their say and I encourage people to seek out their local town centre managers or business and traders associations to discuss their ideas."