A vision for Richmond town centre

Richmond town centre has long been held as an iconic destination – people from all over the world want to live here, work here and visit. We have a unique offering that others cannot compete with – history and heritage, stunning green, blue and built spaces, top-class retail and hospitality, all in close proximity to central London.

But Richmond, like many other town centres, is seeing the effects of changing public habits like online shopping, home working and evolving modes of transport, as well as changing health, social and safety needs.

What we are doing

If we want to avoid Richmond losing its vibrancy, we need to adapt. We need to look to the future and make sure it’s a place that people want to spend time. A place that's convenient, social, safe, inclusive, clean, healthy and fun for everyone. A vibrant place for many years to come.

To do this, we need to understand what this means to residents, workers, shoppers and visitors. We have started the process with an engagement project to hear the voices of all those that use Richmond.

Next, we will work with community partners to create a vision and action plan for the future of the town centre.

How we are doing this

We know that the vision for Richmond town centre must come from the people who live and work here every day.

To kick-start the project, we worked with a delivery partner, We Made That. Their team of specialist architects, designers and urban researchers have evaluated how the town centre is working for all, using data, working with community partners, and speaking to local people, businesses, and workers about their experiences.

Study findings

We Made That have produced a town centre study with their findings and recommendations. This report will be used to create an ambitious vision for Richmond town centre.

View the Richmond Town Centre Engagement report.

Image one: How do you travel to Richmond Town Centre? 48% walk, 21% take the bus, 16% cycle, 9% use a car and 6% use the train.

Image two: What is your main reason for visiting Richmond Town Centre? 88% for eating or drinking out, 76% for non-essential shopping, 61% for essential shopping, 57% for events and activities and 44% for services.

Image three: What are your top three priorities for Richmond Town Centre? 65% to increase/diversify the town's retail and leisure offering, 53% to enhance our public spaces and 49% to protect our natural space.

Image four: What are the best aspects of Richmond Town Centre? In first place: Quality of green space, parks and rivers, in second place: Experience of using public transport to get into the town centre and in third place: The quality of our public spaces (town squares, riverside, area in front of station).

Image five: What are the poorest aspects of Richmond Town Centre? In first place: Traffic and air quality in town centre, in second place: Variety of things for young people to do and in third place: Experience of walking and cycling in the town centre.

Project timeline

Key dates and milestones for the project:

August to October 2023 - We Made That undertaking data gathering and initial engagement processes
January 2024 - Town Centre Engagement Study published
2024 - ongoing - Create a vision and action plan for the town centre

Get involved

Details of all public events will be published here and updated regularly, so check back for updates and make sure you have signed up to our newsletter. You'll also be able to find out about any news or updates related to the project.

Contact

If you any queries about the project, email us: richmondtowncentre@richmond.gov.uk.

Up to: Campaigns and events

Updated: 08 February 2024

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