Home to almost 200,000 residents, Sutton boasts a wide range of factors that underpin its high desirability as a place to live, work and invest.
Well-connected
Situated in Zone 5, Sutton is less than 30 minutes by train from central London, and south and south west London are easily accessible by public transport.
There are 10 train stations which serve key neighbourhoods within the borough providing direct connections to London Victoria, London Bridge, London Blackfriars and St Pancras International.
Sutton also has direct rail connections with Epsom, Dorking, Guildford and Horsham, as well as Wimbledon for an interchange with the London Underground and West Croydon for the London Overground.
Gatwick and Heathrow airports can be reached easily within 30 and 60 minutes, respectively. There is an extensive road network which provides close and easy access to the M25 and M23.
High quality housing
Sutton has plenty of high quality housing which is relatively affordable by London standards. It has the fifth highest owner occupancy rate in Greater London.
Village feel
Being an outer south London borough, Sutton enjoys being in close proximity to central London and the serenity of Surrey. There are seven district centres in Sutton, many of which retain a ‘village’ atmosphere not seen in central London.
Outstanding green spaces
Sutton boasts over 1,500 acres of open space and the largest regional park outside of central London.
The Council’s 2015 MORI survey revealed that 80% of residents regularly use Sutton’s parks, with 82% expressing satisfaction with them.
Skilled workforce
Sutton has a highly trained workforce with over 40% of working age residents holding a degree level qualification or higher.
Every four in five Sutton residents aged between 16 and 64 are economically active – higher than the London and national average.
High achieving schools
Sutton is renowned for its high educational attainment, with the latest statistics showing 17.4% more young people attaining 5 A*-C grades at GCSE and 22.1% of young people attaining A*-A grades at A Level. These place Sutton schools in second and third place nationally for educational attainment.
A safe borough
Sutton has a track record of low crime rates and is the third safest borough in London.
Vibrant business sector
Home to over 6,800 businesses, businesses of all sizes and sectors have chosen Sutton as their business base.
Since 2009, the number of new business start ups has almost doubled and Sutton has the highest one- and two-year business survival rates in outer south London.
Affordable business space
Rateable values for commercial, retail and industrial floorspace in Sutton are competitive with an average of £87, £149 and £64 charged per square metre, respectively.
Designated development sites
There are a significant number of development and investment opportunities across the borough. Sutton currently has over 50 designated development sites in its planning policy, and approximately 150 in its draft Local Plan – of which 47 are in Sutton Town Centre.
Frameworks for investment
Sutton Council is currently refreshing its Local Plan and has developed draft masterplans for Sutton Town Centre and the London Cancer Hub in Belmont to guide inward investment.
Ready for growth
Sutton has the foundations for growth already in place. Beyond a skilled workforce and space to grow, Sutton Council has put commercial innovation and growth at the heart of its plan.
From the Sutton Decentralised Energy Network to the Council’s own housing development company, Sutton Living Limited, Sutton Council is an enabler and has a proactive approach to growth.