THE company whose £250,000 bid to buy the controversial Marshes End site was turned down by Borough of Poole last month has made an increased offer, the Daily Echo can reveal.

Forelle Estates, that wants to build an office building on the land – which will prevent it from being used as a summer transit site for travellers – has now offered £350,000.

The company says its landmark office building would create up to 200 jobs and that its increased offer is well above the land’s value.

Earlier this year Borough of Poole endured the wrath of Creekmoor residents after nodding through proposals to create two temporary stopping sites for gypsies and travellers.

It was the larger of these two transit sites, the 12-plot Marshes End pitch, that caused the most consternation locally.

Now, in a letter to the borough’s strategic director Andrew Flockhart, Forelle’s managing director Michael Price says: “Once again, I can confirm that Forelle Estates Ltd has immediate cash resources available to make this purchase and intends to pursue the future of the site for development with employment generating commercial property that could create up to 200 jobs in the location.

“As I highlighted in my letter of 20th February, the site at Safety Drive is a prominent gateway site and could be developed with property the borough could be proud of as a place of business, rather that the proposed temporary stopping place (TSP) which will have such a negative impact.”

This latest offer will be left open until March 31 to allow borough officials to give it their full consideration, said Mr Price.

The council has confirmed this latest offer has been put on the table.

However, following Forelle’s lower £250,000 offer, last month, Borough of Poole chief executive John McBride stressed: “The council has no plans to sell the site and does not consider that it would be in the best interests of local taxpayers to accept an offer for an important council asset without full and proper assessment of its market value.”

Proposals for the Marshes End TSP, and the smaller Broadstone Way TSP are set to go before Borough of Poole’s planning committee on March 20.

The Echo will be publicising the exact time and place of this meeting once these details have been officially confirmed.