A BAND of campaigners wants to save a former squash club from being turned into a convenience store.

But the brewery which owns the site says no one has been able to come up with a viable use other than the shopping plan.

The former South Dorset Squash Club, next to the Sweet Home Inn on Ringwood Road, Poole, closed in 2008. Hall and Woodhouse has had interest from a food retailer in turning it into a convenience store.

But the South Dorset Squash Club Campaign Group says the premises should be used for squash and as a community venue.

The group has set up an e-petition on the Borough of Poole’s website which has so far attracted 259 signatures, with around 100 more on paper.

Mike Greir of the campaign group said: “A lot of them are squash players who have nowhere to go in the area since it closed.

“They have to travel to Chapel Gate at Hurn, which is quite a long way.“

He said the group’s plan would also give the area a much needed community space.

“Our plans are to turn it into a studio upstairs and have divided sections there so we can turn it into a community room and have meetings for the community,” he said.

The group says the number of convenience stores nearby has reached “saturation point”, with one only 350 yards away.

“There are 11 other convenience stores within a mile radius of this site. Do we need a twelfth?” said Mr Greir.

Parkstone councillor Sally Carpenter, who is backing the campaign, said: “I really hope the owners of the property, Hall and Woodhouse, will at least meet with the co-ordinators of the project and consider their proposal seriously.

“This is a great chance for a local company to work with residents in providing a much-needed sport and community facility not just for Parkstone ward but the borough.”

Lliz Abraham, group head of property at Hall and Woodhouse, said the brewery would consider all viable schemes for the site.

“The squash club has been vacant since 2008. We’ve marketed that through our local agents Goadsby for nearly five years with no commercial interest being expressed.

“We’ve submitted an application because we’ve got to bring the building back into use.

“We have been asking for expressions of interest. We want to find an occupier for the building.

“It isn’t good for the Sweet Home Inn to have an empty, derelict building next to it.”