Mary Reid

Now what would you do to improve Tolworth Broadway?

It's actually a rather pleasant street with wide pavements and lots of street trees. Strictly speaking it begins outside Our Lady Immaculate, but it feels as though it starts further back, by the green triangle opposite the old Red Lion. It then runs right down to the roundabout.

At that point the A3 becomes a major barrier between you and the delights on the far side. Indeed, I think some people may have spent their whole lives on the Broadway side and never ventured through the tunnels to the Toby Jug and Tolworth Station. Beyond them lie parks, open land, streams and sportsfields, but they seem very detached from the shops back on The Broadway.

Then there's Marks & Spencer and Boots, and more recently The Broadway Café, which have together brought life to the shopping centre, but it still seems to lack something distinctive.

Much thinking has been taking place, and bids were invited for proposals to spend the £2.1 million that Transport for London (brilliant!) has offered to brighten up the area. The winning ideas were unveiled this week, and they certainly are innovative.

Apparently for £2 million the pavements on both sides of the road could be completely relaid and prettified. The proposal is to do the same amount of work but over double the length of street by pedestrianising the MIDDLE of the road.

The central barriers, which we all hate, would come down and a 4 metre wide strip would be created along the full length from OLI.

This would be used by pedestrians and cyclists both as a central refuge while crossing the road, but also as a walkway - hence the 'greenway' - in its own right.

The really clever thing is what happens when the greenway meets the roundabout. Well, it simply carries on!

By moving the traffic lights a safe crossing can be created across the traffic lanes.

The walkway will then continue down a gentle slope into the centre of the roundabout, over the pedestrian bridge and up to another crossing which will take people onto the next stage of the greenway.

This means that people will be able to walk the full length of the Broadway, and on to Tolworth Station, almost in a straight line and without using the hated tunnels.

You can read much more about these proposals on the Council website, and you can also respond there to the consultation.

(Pictures nicked from the Council website)