A six-week consultation on a major revamp of Wandsworth town centre, and the removal of the gyratory, has been launched.

Transport for London (TfL) aims to reduce congestion and make the area better for pedestrians, cyclists and buses.

The plans involve rerouting the A3 and A205 south circular to the north of the town centre, along Armoury Way.

This would free the shopping area of congestion and remove traffic from the town centre.

TfL also wants to improve pedestrian crossings and bus stops. The town has been designated a regeneration zone and is set to benefit from more than £1bn worth of new investment, largely from the private sector.

The consultation will run until December 5 and another will be carried out next year, when more detailed plans are made available.

If approved, construction could begin as early as 2017.

The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, described the gyratory as a “car-clogged one-way system” that had made the area hostile to pedestrians and cyclists.

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Councillor Ravi Govindia, leader of Wandsworth Council, said: “Redesigning the one-way system and removing the traffic, that’s had such a negative effect on the town centre’s fortunes, has been a key aim of the council for many years and so I’m delighted that these ambitions are now gathering pace.

“We are not yet in a position to say what the detailed designs will be, but these will be produced for the next round of consultation if this process moves forward.”

Borough resident Peter Le Riche, 34, who works in public relations, said: “The gyratory is as much of a landmark in Wandsworth town as the power station is in Battersea.

“It’s a bit 1980s, but everyone knows they’re in Wandsworth when they see it. If the gyratory is going to go, TfL had better have a really good plan in place to modernise the town centre and road network.

“I wouldn’t want to see the place just become bland.”

For details, visit tfl.gov.uk/ wandsworth-town-centre.