Pop-up shops, a skate park, arts trail and tech campus are part of an exciting vision for a future Wimbledon drawn up by a community group helping to shape the development of the town centre.

'The Green Grid' designed by the Wimbledon East Hillside Residents' Association (WEHRA) imagines a series of linked green spaces to provide resting spaces for shoppers and office workers taking a break to relax or have lunch.

Wimbledon Times:

Station Green: Wimbledon Station re-imagined by WHRA. Picture: Marcus Beale Architects 

Visitors and commuters would arrive in Wimbledon at the Station Green; a multi-use eight-level building over Wimbledon Station including a four-star capsule hotel, penthouse restaurant, fitness centre, green grass forecourt and visitor centre.

A grid of green spaces including a Market Green outside Morrison's, a Womble Green alongside the Polka Theatre and a Theatre Green extending from the New Wimbledon Theatre to Russell Road, would invite people to interact outside and discover different parts of the area, according to the group's planners.

Wimbledon Times:

An elevated path imagined by WHRA. Picture: Marcus Beale Architects 

The design, which is already getting the attention of developers such as the YMCA, was drawn up last summer for Merton Council and Love Wimbledon's Future Wimbledon competition.

It evolved from a brainstorming session in August to a detailed plan with images sketched by Wimbledon architect firm Marcus-Beale.

"Wimbledon is not just about the tennis", said Marcela Montes, a member of the WHRA design team.

"The Polka Theatre draws people from around London and Wimbledon Music Festival is a big international event.

"But when you come out of Wimbledon Station, what do you see? Does it feel like an international destination?"

The group's design proposes to regenerate the area from the bottom of the Broadway up to Wimbledon Hill Road, with schemes such as a South Bank-style skate park in the underused St George's Road car park to attract young people.

Pedestrian and cycle safety would be improved with a 20mph speed limit and elevated paths.

The resident-led design also includes safeguards to preserve the town's residential atmosphere, such as a building height limit of two storeys for development's adjoining homes and a restriction on late night premises to the area within about 150m from the station.

Leigh Terrafranca, WHRA's planning officer, said: "We hope that the seeds of our ideas will be integrated into the designs of our future town.

"We live in Wimbledon for all sorts of reasons - great commuter links, great schools, a lot of green spaces and a very strong and highly-educated community and with that should come a stronger town centre.

"But there have been some bad descisions in planning and a lot of us would rather go to a different area to do our shopping and that's wrong."

Wimbledon Times:

Green Grid: WHRA's award-winning design on display outside Morrison's in The Broadway

A long-standing campaigner on planning issues, she said the competition was a chance to work positively with the council to integrate residents' ideas into development plans before Crossrail arrives.

She hopes some of the group's designs will become part of Merton Council's planning policy and will be funded by developers.

Future Wimbledon was organised by the council's regeneration team and Love Wimbledon; inviting community groups, residents, built environment specialists and borough businesses to start the debate about how Wimbledon might evolve and look in the future.

The group's designs are currently on display alongside other competition entries outside Morrison's in The Broadway.

Got a story? Contact Louisa on 020 8722 6335, or email louisa.clarence@london.newsquest.co.uk.