PLANNING chiefs have turned down a five-storey development at Canford Cliffs proposed by businessman Richard Carr.

Borough of Poole’s (BOP) planning committee ruled by one vote against the planned scheme at Panorama Road during a meeting at Poole Civic Centre yesterday.

Mr Carr told the committee: “We’ve been waiting eight months for this to come up, yet three of the reasons for refusal only landed in our laps last Thursday.”

Earlier, members heard the plans, by Fortitudo Property - which employs developer Mr Carr - were for a restaurant and 31 apartments.

Currently, the site is made up of a mixture of properties including chalet style residential homes, a motor showroom with two flats above, an estate agents, an internet company and a yoga studio.

Numbers 30-32 of the site are part of the Sandbanks Boatyard complex, which includes boat storage, parking, restaurant and workshop.

Committee members heard that planning permission had previously been granted, after appeal, for a smaller four-storey building at the same site.

Cllr Andy Garner Watts said: “We did a site visit this morning and the new application is almost fifty per cent bigger than the previous application.I certainly would not support this application.

“For me this is too much, too quickly for that area. There is nothing around it that is comparable at this time.”

However, Cllr Graham Wilson said he supported the application.”We need this so badly for Sandbanks,” he added.

Meanwhile, Cllr May Haines - speaking as ward councillor - told the committee: “Panorama Road is not a main artery, it is a residential road .I urge the committee to follow the officer’s recommendation and refuse this application.”

Planning officers had recommended members refuse, on the grounds it would be “harmful” to the street scene, and the restaurant - at 400m sq - was too large for a restaurant site outside of the town centre.

Cllr Mellor said: “It is undeniable what is proposed will be good for the area.

“ I’m very much of the opinion we have to build higher, we are locked by the heath and the sea.”

Under the plans, turned down by the committee, the whole site would have been turned into a five-storey building with four commercial units on the ground floor - one of which would be a replacement restaurant for the Boatyard.