Half of those who completed Epsom’s town centre survey believe it has deteriorated in the last two years.

Nearly 1,500 people completed the review of the borough’s heartland earlier this year - the first time it has been conducted since 2006.

Overall, 58 per cent said they were satisfied, 20 per cent were dissatisfied and 22 per were neither satisfied nor dissatisfied with the town centre.

But 50 per cent said they felt the town centre had gotten worse in the last two years, compared to 32 per cent in 2006. 

Only 10 per cent said it had improved, with 40 per cent saying it had stayed the same.

The most positively rated aspects of the town centre were The Ashley Centre, the market, the clean and pleasant environment and convenience of car parking.

The most negatively rated aspects were traffic congestion, cost of parking, ease of getting in and out of the town by car, and the range of shops.

While 32 per cent said they would definitely or probably shop in the town more often if a large supermarket was built there, 68 per cent said they would definitely or probably not. 

Of those who said they shop at another town centre, 78 per cent said they go to Kingston, 33 per cent to Sutton and 22 per cent to Guildford.

The most frequently visited areas of the town centre were given as The Ashley Centre, then the High Street, followed by Upper High Street.

Adam Worley, Epsom’s business development manager, who is stepping down on August 1, said: "There was nothing surprising in the survey and that’s a good thing as it means the issues have already been highlighted.

"But this gives the council an evidence base to implement the changes."

He said it was interesting to see that some aspects which were highly rated by residents, such as the cleanliness of the town, are not as highly rated by the town’s traders - who believe littering still needs to be stamped out.

Your Local Guardian:

Councillor Neil Dallen and Adam Worley launch the Epsom Town Centre Survey 

Mr Worley said accessibility and parking were highligted as important issues for the town, as were entrance points to the town, which create an impression about the area. 

He added: "Things are good but there’s more that can be done.

"People are passionate about the town and want to see change and this shows through.  It’s now about all the stakeholders working together to deliver that change."

Epsom town councillor Neil Dallen said: "The survey clearly indicates something has to be done about the level of traffic within the town centre and this is something all the political parties agree on.

"What can be done is a currently being discussed by borough and local county councillors with Surrey County Council highways.

"A large proportion of respondents state the cost of car parking is too high but the most used car park is the most expensive.

"The council are looking at this to ensure users of the town centre are aware of the cheaper options and will be reviewing charges later this year.

"That such a large proportion of respondents thought the town centre had declined during the biggest recession in living memory is not too much of a surprise.

"While two of the biggest barriers for new and existing retailers are rents and business rates, neither of which the council can control, there are still ways the council can attract and retain business and we are working on identifying these - with new retailers, like Metro Bank, coming into the area a corner has been turned.

"The results of the survey are already being used and the findings will be used to shape future decisions."

The full survey can be accessed by clicking here

Things people commented that they liked about the town centre:

"Clean, quiet, safe"

"Familiar friendly environment"

"Clocktower, high street and market"

"A very pleasant atmosphere"

"Ashley Centre and restaurants"

"It is fairly compact, you don't have to walk too far"

Things people commented they didn't like about the town centre:

"A bit rundown"

"How tired it looks and feels"

"Not as friendly as it used to be"

"Too many charity shops"

"Epsom currently feels split between the high street and the area around the marketplace.  Encouraging retailers to open shops in the high street would vastly improve the shopping experience and enhance the vibrancy of the town"

"Epsom needs to be stop trying to compete with larger towns and find something unique to focus on"

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