Hurry up with Wimbledon improvements, urges Boris

The Wimbledon town centre improvements need to be finished as soon as possible urged London Mayor Boris Johnson, after listening to the concerns of residents.

The mayor was in Wimbledon yesterday to admire the station's new forecourt, part of a £2.6 million scheme to improve the town before the Olympics next year.

However, while he was pleased with the newly paved area outside the station, he said the ongoing work on town centre improvements needed to be completed as soon as possible because of concerns by residents over safety while crossing the road.

Councillor Debbie Shears, leader of Merton Conservatives, said Mr Johnson has been made aware of safety concerns and would be pushing for a speedy conclusion.

"The traffic situation around the station remains a key concern for us, as works are still ongoing," she said.

But she said it was fantastic to have the new station forecourt which has a much better layout for the many local people who use the station every day.

Commenting on the upgrades local London Assembly Member Richard Tracey said the new forecourt was a great improvement on its predecessor.

"Along with the forthcoming improvement to the District Line out of Wimbledon, this great step forwards on the ongoing station improvements that Boris is driving through," he said.

The project called Destination Wimbledon, involves Merton Council,

together with Network Rail, South West Trains and Transport for London (TfL), which have all committed to the improvements.

Along with the forecourt, there have been other improvements including the lights at the Alexandra Road crossroads which have been changed into a diagonal crossing and pavement widening.

However, work continues on the pedestrian island, which connects the Centre Court shops, Next and The Prince of Wales.

When it is finished the town should be a lot more pedestrian friendly. However, during the works, which have been started earlier this year, it has caused lots of disruption for businesses and shoppers alike.

The improvements will continue until late November, before breaking for the Christmas period, and re-starting in the New Year, with final completion in April.