PROPERTY developer Eddie Mitchell's ambitious plan to build a sports stadium at Sandbanks beach has been temporarily withdrawn.

Mr Mitchell says he will resubmit his application for the 1,754 seat arena, which he envisages becoming the home of UK beach football, in January after Poole council confirms the area’s new planning strategy.

The managing director of Seven Developments wants to demolish the peninsula’s Victorian pavilion along with the playground and crazy golf course to make room for the project.

The proposals also included 40 ground floor beach huts, 20 exclusive glass boxes along with luxury beach studios for weekend and overnight stays.

But he told the Daily Echo that parts of the scheme could be at odds with the council’s policy on providing a balance between buildings and open space, with a document outlining the authority’s approach to seafront development set to go before councillors for approval in December.

“It is a shame, but we thought it would be prudent at this stage to withdraw the application to ensure the plan fits in with the document, rather than risk it being refused,” said Mr Mitchell.

He said once the details of the council document, titled Sustaining Poole’s Seafront, are adopted then amendments to his current plan can be made.

Mr Mitchell said he has received positive feedback for his ideas, describing the current site as “old and dilapidated”.

“I think it is important to regenerate this area,” he said.

He added that the fact the council had produced a supplementary planning document for the area demonstrates a recognition that investment in its infrastructure is needed.

The project has received a number of objections, including one resident who said it could become “Poole’s Imax”, in reference to neighbouring Bournemouth’s controversial seafront cinema - which was eventually demolished after being labelled as one of the UK's "most hated" buildings in a Channel 4 documentary.

And earlier this month council transport officer Lee Smith submitted a letter to his planning colleagues, which said: "The proposals fail to provide for, or satisfactorily mitigate, the resultant increased parking demands and traffic congestion that will occur on surrounding roads and routes to the site as a result of the development.

“The proposal will lead to increase vehicle trawling of the area whilst drivers look for parking spaces, increase vehicle manoeuvring and queuing on surrounding highway routes, unacceptable levels of parking in residential streets and within existing public parking facilities.”

He said this could lead to “safety dangers and congestion” and would be “to the detriment of the street environment and the aims of sustainability.”