Chessington Golf Centre is in a developer's sights to be replaced by new homes, a swimming pool, a leisure centre and a football pitch.

Conservative Council leader Kevin Davis told ward councillors from his rival Liberal Democrats two weeks ago "someone was interested" but the idea was rebuffed by them, the councillors said.

Coun Davis issued a statement at 4.30pm today saying the council had been informally approached a year ago but had said it was in the Greenbelt.

Chessington South councillor Rachel Reid said: “It was just 'we have had the potential for someone who’s interested and want to talk to you about it’.

"And we said we don’t want any development on the greenbelt."

Approached by the Surrey Comet, council leader councillor Kevin Davis said: "The council is not in a position to confirm whether the Chessington Golf Course is due for closure - that is a matter for the owners. 

"I can confirm that a year ago the council was informally approached about this site by a developer wanting to build new homes. 

"At the time they were advised that this site is within the metropolitan green belt and that unless exceptional circumstances could be demonstrated there is a very strong presumption against new house building.

"Within the past few weeks, there has been a further informal approach regarding the prospects for a swimming pool, leisure centre and 3G football pitch, together with enabling housing development to support its delivery. 

"It is important to clarify that at this stage there has been no formal request for pre-application advice from the council's planning service and a planning application has not been submitted."

Chessington Golf Centre has nine-hole and 18-hole courses on lush green lands which can be hired out for weddings and private functions.

The centre has been rumoured to close at the end of the month – although this has not been confirmed by the club, who told the Surrey Comet no-one was available to discuss its future plans.

Fellow ward councillor Shiraz Mirza said: "To be honest with you I don't have much detail, but the residents come first and whatever the residents want I am on their side.

"We need to have a proper consultation and we need to make sure that our residents are on our side."

The rumour broke on the council's south of the borough Facebook group today that the golf centre was to close and be replaced by 700 homes.

Terri Stockley-Hetherington, from Facebook, said: "700 flats would be an awful lot and would also mean that the whole town infrastructure would need reassessment as roads and transport cannot cope here as it is.

"That's without even mentioning health and education services."

Chris Orton, who used to live in Garrison Lane, said: "Local people have since managed to stop the golf club using part of the land for phone masts but I doubt they will even be informed if this goes ahead, any more than they were when the golf club was first built."

Chessington Golf Centre was established in 1985 and is open for most of the year with it costing between £10 and £17 for a game.

Kingston was named among the worst boroughs for building new homes in the country in recent years, it was revealed in September.

The council has set itself a target of 50 per cent affordable homes for all new developments coming into the borough.

The idea could be mentioned at tonight’s Neighbourhood Conversation discussing growth, town planning and affordable housing at Tolworth Girls’ School in Fullers Way North.

The Neighbourhood Conversation meeting at Tolworth Girls’ School will start tonight at 7.30pm.