The developer of a controversial housing project plans to change its design by increasing the size of the homes and improving the green space.

Circle Hill, a joint venture between housebuilder Hill Residential and housing association group Circle Housing, has bought the animal husbandry site from Nescot College in Reigate Road, Ewell.

Plans for 91 homes, plus a neighbouring care home, were approved by Epsom Council last year despite opposition from residents over traffic, parking, loss of green space and strain on local services.

Circle Hill, which is investing between £45m and £50m in the development, will submit another planning application next month in order to make the changes.

Terry Gamble, development manager at Hill Residential, said it wants to increase the size of homes, improve green spaces, alter the layout and shorten the length of the main access road.

Surrey Comet: Nescot College's animal husbandry site in Reigate Road, Ewell

He said: "We have created squares around the site to give it more of a community feel with houses facing onto the squares."

Circle Housing Mole Valley will manage 25 affordable rent homes and 11 shared ownership homes on the estate. The 55 other houses will be sold on the open market.

Circle, one of the UK’s largest groups of housing associations, has come under fire for poor repairs and maintenance in nearby Merton.

A group of councillors and residents there are calling for the Government's housing watchdog to investigate Circle Housing Merton Priory following hundreds of complaints about repairs and maintenance.

But Jackie Strube, a development manager at Circle Housing who is working on the Ewell plans, said: "Circle Housing Mole Valley have a very good record with repairs.

"Obviously they are looking into issues they have had in other parts of the group, but we would expect to provide first-class service to our residents on this site."

In response to residents' concerns over development in principle, she said: "It has got the consent and we don’t really want to open up that whole debate again because clearly the council has approved it.

"But we are very much listening to people in terms of improving it, particularly the green space."

If planning permission for the latest application is granted, the developer will have to pay just over a million pounds to fund infrastructure that the council and community want.

This is an increase from £300,000 allocated under the previous planning application.

Ms Strube said: "There will be more funds coming into the council’s coffers that can be spent on local community projects."

Circle Hill hopes to start building towards the end of this year and expects that construction work will take about two years.

After viewing the plans today, Keith Lugton, chairman of Nonsuch Park and District Residents’ Association said: "I was pleased with what I saw.

"They are having public exhibition next week and I hope a lot of residents go along to see what is being proposed."

He added: "What we are thinking about now is the detail of the development, not the principle of whether there is a development.

"Understandably people will continue to be concerned about traffic on Reigate Road and we will continue to represent them and make sure there is an awareness of traffic problems."

Residents are invited to a public exhibition at Nescot College, in Reigate Road, Ewell, between 2pm and 8pm on Tuesday, March 31.