A disagreement has broken out at a tennis club after a proposal to relocate to land once owned by Lord Byron’s widow moved a step closer.

Members of Esher Lawn Tennis Club recently voted in favour of relocating from their current home in Milbourne Lane to Moore Place, where a more modern facility is intended to be built, after two previous votes against the move.

As yet no planning application has been received by Elmbridge Council, but preliminary plans seen by the Elmbridge Guardian suggest developers will build six grass courts, seven hard courts, five acrylic courts and a 3,000sq ft clubhouse.

While most members from the tennis club agreed a relocation to better facilities was integral to the future of the club, some members contacted the Elmbridge Guardian to say they believed this particular move would not be a step forward.

One of these members, who does not wish to be named, said there had been a “lack of transparency” over the plans, and said their worries the club was selling the land in Milbourne Lane for “substantially less” than it was worth had been ignored.

They said: “This move is commercially naive. It’s very shoddy and there is no business plan. They are giving away the family silver, but all they can think about is this super-duper new club.”

The member added the new facilities would not be good enough to move the club forward, because plans did not include a dome to create indoor courts or floodlights.

However, club chairman Paul Fielding insisted a dome and floodlights would be in the first application and the club was getting value for money for the land in Milbourne Lane.

He said: “The members were all given the correct amount of information about the move before they voted.

“With the move to Moore Place, the club is going in the right direction now.

“I am pleased 80 per cent of the members voted in favour of this. There would be concerns about the viability of the club if we stayed at Milbourne Lane.”

The tennis club will be situated behind the 18th century house Moore Place, once owned by Lady Byron, but since painted purple and described as an eyesore.

Moore Place Holdings, which owns the house, was given permission to knock it down in 2009 and build a hotel, but the Elmbridge Guardian understands this has been put on hold after hotelier Hotel Du Vin pulled out.