Developers have handed an ultimatum to planning chiefs over a long-running proposal for a former prison and World War I interrogation centre.

Property consultants GL Hearn have appealed to the Planning Inspectorate to make a decision on plans to turn Latchmere House, on the borders of Richmond and Kingston, into a new housing scheme.

Developers Berkeley submitted two planning applications to both Kingston and Richmond Councils - a preferred scheme for 73 new homes and an alternative proposal for 89.

While Kingston approved both schemes on the condition that affordable housing was provided within Richmond's half of the site, Richmond Council has yet to make a decision.

GL Hearn, on behalf of Berkeley, has now removed the 89 home option from Richmond's hands and handed it to the Planning Inspectorate.

But in a letter to residents, GL Hearn director Nick Jones said the opportunity for Richmond to approve the smaller scheme was still on the table. Mr Jones wrote: "We have therefore had to consider carefully how best to ensure we secure a positive result as quickly as possible given we have been so significantly delayed.

"We have decided to remove the decision for the 89-home scheme from Richmond and have appealed to the Planning Inspector to make the decision instead.

"This may take some time, and as we would still prefer to build the 73-home scheme, we have left this decision in the hands of Richmond, who can still make a positive decision on this scheme."

Latchmere Lane resident Andree Frieze, said she believed the developers are to push a decision through before a community infrastructure levy is introduced in November, which would make the development more costly.

She said: "The residents here were happy when the building was a prison.

"The roads can’t cope with the traffic another housing estate would bring."

Kingston Councillor David Cunningham, from Tudor ward, said: "It is very unfortunate that it is taking such a long time for this to be resolved.

"This scheme has been the most consulted upon scheme than any other scheme that I can think of."

He added the heritage of the site would be retained via a permanent exhibition of Latchmere House's history in Tudor Library.