A family-run nursery could be left homeless after a developer transforms Molesey Football Club and puts a 100-place rival next door. 

Home from Home has been running in Walton Road, near the club site, for almost four years but may face difficulties if a new nursery facility is approved and built.

Rushmon Homes hopes to create 17 apartments for Elmbridge Housing Trust, put the football club in new premises, create a 100-place nursery and a gym with apartments above and parking facilities.

On a Facebook group dedicated to the the area, people expressed support for the nursery.

Tom Pocock asked: "If the current nursery is successful why not do a deal with Rushmon to take the new space on commercial terms?"

Judith Pearmain said: "The nursery is excellent, two of my children go there and are very happy."

Current employees of the nursery said they would not give up the fight and praised the "one of a kind" business.

A petition has been set up aiming to stop the closure and "prevent them [Rushmon Homes] from giving the contract to run a newly built nursery facility to one of the larger corporate 'chain' nurseries".

David Mumford, land director for Rushmon Homes, said it would not be a case of turfing the nursery off its current site.

He said: "Our plans include a temporary nursery at the entrance to the club (adjacent to Walton Road) to be made available to Home from Home (who are tenants of the Football Club, not Rushmon Homes), whilst the existing premises are demolished and the development is built.

"The development, assuming planning permission is granted in the summer, will not be completed until mid-2017 and the existing nursery will be able to operate from their current location at least until the end of this year."

A public exhibition takes place at Molesey Football Club on Thursday, March 26, from 5pm to 8pm, and Saturday, March 28, from 10am to 1pm.