Sutton Council’s campaign to bring trams to the Borough is celebrating an early success. 

Plans to extend the existing Tramlink network to Sutton have been included in the Mayor’s new vision for London document, “2020 Vision – The Greatest City on Earth”, published last week.  It outlines some of the challenges facing the capital, including housing, employment and transport.

Sutton Council, business and residents support the tram extension, which will improve transport links in and out of, and across, Sutton. The project will also create and sustain new jobs, drive economic growth, ease traffic congestion and reduce CO2 emissions.

 We understand the original draft of the Mayor’s vision document made no mention of bringing the tram to Sutton, but our Tramlink campaign, still in its infancy, has already yielded a result. The Mayor of London is asking us to demonstrate how this investment will be justified by the improvements it can bring in terms of jobs, growth, and housing.

Sutton is already one step ahead.  We have commissioned research which demonstrates that extending Tramlink to Sutton will create 10,000 jobs, bring forward sites for residential development, and support and boost the economy. 

We know that extending Tramlink will ensure Sutton continues to prosper into the future. The Borough of Sutton has had an ambition to bring Tramlink to Sutton since 2003 when it was included in the Unitary Development Plan. The Borough has successfully worked with Transport for London to examine the feasibility of bringing trams to central Sutton, connecting it to St Helier Hospital, Morden Tube Station and Wimbledon. At some point a spur through our Ward, Sutton South, would connect to the Marsden hospital. This feasibility work is ongoing, and Sutton’s Tramlink campaign seeks to ensure the Mayor will continue to fund this work in Transport for London’s future budgets.