A major new shopping complex, hotel and housing development is being proposed in one of the biggest redevelopments of Sutton in decades.

Under proposals currently being drawn up by developers, the six acre site in Sutton town centre would be flattened and replaced with a major Sainsbury's supermarket, shops and restaurants, more than 100 homes, a 120-bed hotel, and a new green public plaza.

The degenerated land to the north end of Sutton High Street, at the end of Throwley Way, is currently home to 1960s office blocks which are part-let on short-term leases, an empty warehouse and gas holders.

A draft planning brief is now being prepared ahead of a nine-week public consultation on the plans, expected to begin in May.

A formal application to redevelop the site will then be made later in the year.

Councillor Jayne McCoy, executive member for planning, economic development and housing at Sutton Council, said: "This is an exciting opportunity to transform what has become an eyesore into a well-used, attractive space that will be a real boost to our local economy.

"It is really encouraging to see a considerable amount of private sector money being invested in Sutton.

"The initial discussions we’ve had with the developer have been positive; we’re impressed with their ambitions for the site and we have been giving them some steer as to the high standards local people want and expect.

"We’ll be demanding first class design that’s well thought out to provide new facilities for our residents and will also encourage even more businesses to invest in Sutton."

Improved roads and better pedestrian access have also been proposed as part of the redevelopment.

Tony Shields, Conservative spokesman on planning, said he welcomed the project, but he had concerns about how increased traffic flow as a result of the redevelopment would be managed as part of the already congested Sutton town centre one way system.