A horse-riding centre for disabled children is under threat from controversial plans to allow building on the greenbelt.

Diamond Riding Centre for Disabled Riders uses land in Wellfield Gardens, Carshalton, which Sutton Council has earmarked as a potential site for development.

Seven sites of Green Belt and Metropolitan Open Land have been identified as potentially suitable to accommodate housing or schools.

But the proposals were this week branded “disgraceful” by critics, who called on the land’s protected status to be preserved.

Steve Axon, a chair of trustees at the Diamond Riding Centre, where London Paralympic Games silver medallist Laurentia Tan learned to ride, said the loss of the land would have a “very serious impact” on the 360 children who use it.

He said: “Any loss of land would reduce the amount of horses we will be able to keep and keep this going. We have made our representations to the council and want to emphasise just how much of an impact this will have.”

Ross Hemingway, Sutton Green Party co-ordinator, suggested building on Wellfield Gardens would “set a dangerous precedent and put large swathes of the borough’s green belt at risk from future opportunistic developers”.

He added: “Once these vital green open spaces are dug up and concreted over, they are gone forever.”

Jo Daly, whose home backs onto Wellfield Gardens, said: “We understand there is a need for houses, but there are brown field sites that are far better options for development – and will get rid of all the derelict, unused land.”

The council said it conducted a review of its protected sites earlier this year and found Wellfield Gardens was “not fulfilling some of the requirements of green belt land”.

A spokesman added: “Should the site be released – and we must stress that this is only a proposal at this stage – the council will work closely with the Diamond Riding Centre to ensure that it is still able to provide its valuable service in the borough.”

Other sites earmarked include part of Rosehill Park, which has been identified as suitable for a school “if there are not any alternative suitable brownfield sites available”.

But Catherine Maguire, of the Campaign to Protect Rural England, said: “Obviously we acknowledge the pressure to build on greenbelt land, but releasing the land is a real knee-jerk reaction which will have long-lasting implications.

Pressure for housing or schools should not be regarded as special circumstances. These are generalised pressures affecting all of London.”

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