Shoppers and commuters could catch trams to Sutton if proposals to improve the town centre get the thumbs up.

Merton and Croydon residents could connect to Sutton’s main shopping stretch at the Tramlink at Morden, under Sutton Council’s draft development plans.

They would then be taken down St Helier Avenue to join a one-way system around the town centre which would also connect to St Helier Hospital.

The idea is at discussion stage and is dependent on the commitment of Sutton Council, Transport for London and the Government to progress.

No cost has yet been set but a similar extension planned to Crystal Palace was put between £62m and £170m.

Tony Pattison, a former Liberal Democrat councillor on Sutton Council, said the collapse of the Crystal Palace scheme because of a lack of Government funding was a worry for the viability of the Sutton scheme.

Mr Pattison, who has been integral to moves for a tram link to Sutton since the mid 1990s, said he had also been told the Sutton extension would take second place to the Crystal Palace scheme.

However he remained optimistic that with combined political willpower the scheme would progress.

He said: “We are all in favour of it, it is a cross-party issue.

“I’m optimistic, if we just hang in there it will come. I wish there was more urgency, but I don’t think this will be forgotton.”

Trevor Lancefield, director of Sutton-based sustainability group Ecolocal director, said he supported the proposal if it was part of integrated measures to encourage alternative modes of transport, such as cycling and walking.

“It would be of benefit to a lot of people,” he said.

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