Tesco is planning a massive residential development of about 700 homes on the Tolworth Toby Jug site, the Surrey Comet can reveal.

But Kingston Council leader Councillor Kevin Davis said the plans do not include a school to cater for new residents.

The retail giant finally backed down earlier this year from its decade-long quest to put a supermarket on the brownfield land.

Instead it agreed to put forward a “residential-led” plan.

Coun Davis, who has seen the new proposals, told the Comet: “They are not currently offering us a school.

“I don’t even know where you would put a school, other than there.

“I think the problem for Tesco is they have spent an awful lot of money on plans that have got nowhere.

“That all has to be factored in.”

Tesco plans to hold public meetings for residents to air their views.

A spokesman for Tesco’s planning consultants Spenhill would not comment on the detail of the scheme.

He said: “We are about to start consulting the community on emerging proposals for the site, in line with our announcement earlier in the year.

“We’ll provide more information directly to our neighbours shortly.”

Paul Johnston, chairman of the Kingston Federation of Residents’ Associations, said: “We desperately need more affordable housing units.

“The provision of affordable housing will need to go hand-in-glove with all sorts of infrastructure, in particular, education and healthcare.

“There’s already pressure for school places.”

Cabinet member for children, Coun Andrea Craig, said: “I will always be pushing for new school places in any development.”

Kingston and Surbiton MP Edward Davey said: “A housing-only project without community use, like a new primary school, doesn’t meet our local development plan.

“I hope the new council will stick to their guns and ensure local people can benefit from new homes and new community facilities.”

Liberal Democrat Tolworth Councillor Vicki Harris said: “There’s not going to be 700 new families coming into the borough with children.

“Having said that, with that many residential units, yes, it will have an impact on all the local infrastructure.”

She added: “It’s going to be tall blocks of flats, which is my concern.

“That’s totally inappropriate for the area.”