A major consultation on “what the future of our borough should look like” has been launched by Sutton Council.

Plans to create thousands of jobs and homes, better transport links, new schools and world-leading health facilities by 2031 were unveiled today.

The Local Plan sets out the council’s strategy to cope with an expected population rise of more than 31,200.

Your Local Guardian: The Greater London Authority forecasts Sutton will need 7,000 more jobs in the next 15 years, potentially requiring office space equivalent to nine football pitches.

Included in the consultation are the council’s town-centre masterplan and proposals, first revealed earlier this month, for a world-leading cancer research hub that would be the second biggest of its type on the planet.

Councillor Jayne McCoy, chairwoman of the housing, economy and business committee, said: “The London housing crisis is already putting Sutton under pressure so now is the right time to decide what the future of our borough should look like.

“Together, we need to ensure growth works without losing Sutton’s essential character.

“We have arranged our widest ever programme of consultation asking residents to help us determine the right places to concentrate growth, and achieve a quality of place that enhances all that is good about the borough.”

Your Local Guardian:

Residents will be asked for their views on how many houses should be built in Sutton per year, ranging from 363 to more than 500.

Plans to revamp Sutton High street could include public art installations and the creation of space for businesses.

Six key town-centre projects include redeveloping the Civic Centre, the creation of a cultural centre south of the Metro Bank with a focus on independent outlets and making the St Nicholas Centre a hub for events.

An estimated 4,025 primary school and 1,485 secondary school places will need to be created to match the rising birth rate in the borough, according to the Local Plan.

The document also states it “looks highly likely” that two secondary schools will be required in the borough by 2019 or 2020.

Your Local Guardian:

Plans to protect pubs were also outlined in the report after figures suggested that since 2007 two Sutton pubs have closed each year.

The council said it hoped to “retain the borough’s character and environment by protecting Sutton’s heritage and green spaces” by planning for the borough’s growth.

The first public consultation meeting will be held in St Johns Hall, Northdown Road, Belmont, at 7pm on Monday evening February 22.