Developers planning a hotel on derelict land next to Hampton Court Palace have been accused of failing to clean the “eyesore” site to bolster the case for the controversial project.

Thousands of visitors to the historic landmark could arrive at Hampton Court station this summer, and for the Olympic cycling time trials next year, to find a dumping ground for rubbish, overgrown with weeds and strewn with paper and cardboard, campaigners claimed.

Historic Royal Palaces (HRP), the charity that looks after the palace, said it had asked if it could clear up the site of the old Jolly Boatman pub - but developers Gladedale rejected its offer.

A spokesman for Gladedale, which hopes to build a 46-bedroom hotel, along with 66 new houses and a care home, said: "We are actively managing the site through routine tidying and the cutting back of undergrowth and will continue to do so.”

However, Brian Rusbridge, of the Hampton Court Rescue Campaign, claimed the land was “a mess”.

He said: “The developers have just maintained it as a tip mainly, I would say, because they want the community to say that anything is better than this, so let them build on it.”

John Barnes, director of conservation and learning at HRP, said: "We are keenly aware that the vacant site has been entirely neglected for many years - overgrown with weeds and a dumping ground for rubbish.

“It is a great shame that every year many of the half-a-million visitors to Hampton Court Palace are confronted with such an eyesore, and is particularly concerning when we will be welcoming many more thousands from around the world when the palace hosts the Olympics time trials next year.

“We have offered to help clear up the vacant site in previous years, an offer that was rejected by Gladedale."

Campaigner Keith Garner last week won the right to challenge a High Court ruling in favour of Elmbridge Council’s decision to grant planning permission to Gladedale.

The Court of Appeal will hear his case on June 23 and 24.