A new park could open on the site of an old Victorian waterworks next to the River Thames in Kingston under fresh proposals.

Seething Wells filter beds in Surbiton were used to provide clean water to the capital before Thames Water decommissioned the 19th-century site in 1992.

The site is now privately owned by Cascina Limited, which has launched a public consultation on proposals to turn it into a public park with underground employment space.

The proposed park could also include meadows, playgrounds, picnic areas and cycling tracks.

A website outlining the proposed scheme, referred to as Surbiton Riverside, said the site has 10 acres of open space which could provide a "perfect escape from the hustle and bustle of everyday life".

It said the vision for the site "through utilisation of available subterranean space for employment purposes, is to provide a large and diverse area of public open space for the benefit of the wider community".

It added: "Surbiton as it is today grew alongside London's expanding railway network, dating back to Victorian times. This growth was greatly focussed on meeting London's economic needs with less regard to the importance of green space and the wider wellbeing of those communities.

"Larger areas of Surbiton today are identified as having a lack of quality open space – nearby Victoria and Long Ditton recreation grounds are laid predominantly to grass, used for playing pitches, and access to the wider expanse of Hampton Court Park and Bushy Park is severed by the river.

"There is great opportunity for Surbiton Riverside to address this, to provide a substantial area of high quality open space with many benefits to the wellbeing of local residents. There is much design work to be undertaken, but at this stage we are keen to explore the principle of our approach."

The proposals are in an early stage, with further details set to come forward at a later date.

A Cascina spokesperson told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) it is carrying out the initial consultation to establish what local residents want to see in the proposed park and whether a riverside park with underground employment space could be supported.

Members of the public must submit responses to the online survey by December 1.

The spokesperson added: "Following this the intention is to take on board the comments and come forward with further detail for a second round of community consultation."