Controversial plans to develop a filter beds site have been met with an open mind by Edward Davey MP, despite his unwavering opposition to previous applications on the site.

Plans exhibited publicly on Friday, April 15, showed artists’ impressions of how the site would look if the council granted permission for 60 homes, a marina, residential moorings, restaurant, nature reserve and educational centre.

The plans include the use floating technology, and would make the Surbiton development the first in the UK to use the technology, which allows homes to be built on giant pontoons that rise in times of flooding.

Mr Davey, the MP for Kingston and Surbiton, headed campaigns to protect the site in the past, but admitted the technology is intriguing, and that the latest application was worlds apart from other proposals he had seen.

He said: “I’m keen to see what local people feel, but it’s not a proposal that falls at the first hurdle, so I think it’s worth a consideration, compared to the proposals we had before this.

“Previous proposals ranged from utterly unacceptable, to downright appalling, and this deals with many concerns that people had with the other plans.”

He added: “I’m not going out there championing it, but I’m not ringing up campaigners saying we’ve got to stop this at all costs. I genuinely want to know what people think, I’m open-minded.”

Going back to 1997, the site has been the subject of three public inquiries as Kingston Council has fought to retain the green space, and developers have fought to build on the land.

All applications, one of which was for 226 flats, were subsequently withdrawn or rejected.