Residents battling Epsom Council’s plans to rent out part of a listed building to a charity are "very disappointed" that a decision has only been deferred for three months.

Members of the Ewell Court House Residents’ Association oppose the council’s proposal to rent out the top room of Ewell Court House, in Lakehurst Road, Ewell, for administrative use five days a week.

The proposal was considered by the council’s leisure committee on Monday, March 25, where councillors said a final decision would be taken in June - to the dismay of residents who wanted a year-long deferral to "market the house".

Don Scott, chairman of the Ewell Court House Organisation, said: "We had 1,700 responses to the public consultation we launched in just seven days - three in favour of the council’s proposal and the rest in support of the residents. 

"But this doesn’t appear to have had any effect whatsoever."

A council spokesman said it "acknowledges the volume of work" undertaken by volunteers in helping to establish Ewell Court House as a "much-loved community facility", but said the deferral would allow the council time to "examine in-depth" the suggestions presented by some of the volunteers in the run-up to the meeting.

He added: "It is important to note the council has a responsibility to ensure the facility is not an ongoing drain on the council taxpayer."