PLANS for a major redevelopment at Redhill station and car park are under way.

Solum Regeneration, a partnership between Kia Property and Network Rail, has told the Mirror it is preparing to draw up proposals for the land.

Reigate and Banstead Borough Council believes the area, as a key gateway into the town, is ripe for development.

Its draft Redhill Town Centre Area Action Plan lists the land as a key site which could provide up to 100 homes and a hotel. Improvements to the station, including a "landmark building" above it, are also suggested.

Additionally, the land has been earmarked by the council for another town centre supermarket, on top of the plan submitted by Asda and approval granted to Sainsbury's to triple the size of its existing site.

Formed in 2008 to regenerate stations by turning them into mixed-use developments, Solum is currently working at a number of sites in the South East. They include Epsom, where the former stand-alone station building is being converted into a multi-storey block to include homes, shops, a hotel, new station and ticket hall.

A Solum Regeneration spokesman told the Mirror: "We will be meeting with the council early in 2012, and what we will then be doing is working on development proposals and consulting with local residents with a view to putting in a planning application in due course.

"We do not have any timescales – we are very much in the early stages at the moment and do not have any plans [yet].

"We are currently in the process of appointing a project team of architects and planning consultants that can bring forward a development proposal, but it is going to be a few months before anything really happens."

The station building and forecourt will also benefit from "improvements", said a Network Rail spokesman.

He added: "Specifically within this we are looking at options to make improvements to the station entrance and parking facilities.

"We are currently finalising an agreement with our development partners and hope to be in a position to announce further details soon."

Natalie Bramhall, the council's executive member for regeneration, said: "A better use of the land would be to move the car parking spaces to a site just outside the town centre, to release the land for better use. And we could also get a far better station out of it.

"It is a key site. The station desperately needs an upgrade, and with the Liquid and Envy site plan for flats and retail, that corner would become much more integrated into the town centre."

A NEW lift will improve accessibility for passengers using Redhill station.

Southern has announced Redhill is among four of its stations which will share a £2.4million pot of Government Access for All funding.

A new lift will be built to link the booking hall with the subway, and an adjustable ticket counter installed.

Kirsty Monk, Southern's accessibility manager, said: "We are delighted that our passengers who need ease of access and who use these stations will soon benefit from these much needed improvements."

Southern will begin the process of tendering for the work early next year.