Plans to turn the empty Wells Centre into new homes have been labelled "incoherent."

A mini community facility, playground and car parking spaces as well as 25 new homes have been proposed by Cllr Eber Kington on behalf of the Residents' Associations (RA) of Epsom and Ewell.

But Conservative opposition councillor for Epsom West, Bernie Muir said she did not think the plans were the right solution for the centre, on Spa Drive, Epsom.

She said: "There is clearly a need for new local housing for young people struggling to get on the housing ladder, but the RAs seem unable to establish a coherent strategy, giving permission for new executive homes and not the flats and starter homes that first time buyers need.

"There is real anger that rather than seeking out visionary solutions, RA councillors prematurely closed the facility, justifying their decision with bogus political excuses. The plans put forward are incoherent and unfeasible, demonstrating a total lack of understanding of the available land and The Wells area as a whole.

"Worse, RA councillors have reneged on promises to maintain a community centre on site by proposing a derisory community space that is so small it can only fail and the playground location was at best confused and at worse impossible."

Back in December 2015, ruling RA councillors voted at full council meeting to join adult social services from the Wells Centre with the Longmead Centre in Sefton Road at a rebranded Epsom Centre in order to offset a “central government cuts.”

Chairman of the strategy and resources committee, Councillor Neil Dallen said in 2016 that amalgamating services was the best way to make savings after a shortfall in funding from central government of about £2.5million by 2019/20.

Commenting on plans for the Wells Centre, Cllr Kington said: " There are no architectural plans yet, but there will still be a community facility that will be run by the residents themselves.

"There's nothing concrete yet, so no plans in that sense, but when they are produced a meeting will be called to hear what residents have to say.

"We’ve lost £1.5 million in government grants in the last few years so we have to make sure our services pay their way and we use the assets in the best possible way.

"We have a huge housing need and it will only get more difficult after the government told us we need to provide 579 new homes each year. The housing in the Wells will help with this."