DISTRICT planning chiefs have refused to back contentious proposals for the pedestrian bridge at Wareham railway station.

County Hall and Network Rail want a ramped bridge to replace the existing surface level crossing. However, in its role as consultee, Purbeck District Council's (PDC) planning committee declined to follow suit.

Instead, at a packed meeting on Wednesday, members agreed to send representations to County Hall outlining the district's opposition to the ramped crossing plans.

In its submission, the committee will also argue that not all viable alternative plans for the crossing have been considered to date.

Meanwhile, in a separate vote the planning committee refused to grant listed building consent for the bridge proposals, a decision that will have to be taken into consideration when Dorset County Council (DCC) meets to determine the scheme later this year.

Whatever is decided at county level, the district council's refusal to back the plans as they stand was met with overwhelming support from Wareham residents who attended the meeting.

Cllr Budd said: "It is a delicate balance, it is safety versus convenience. A properly controlled gated crossing could be made to work, it is just that Network Rail want to eliminate every possible pedestrian crossing.

"It is not beyond the wit of man to come up with a scheme that is safe."

Meanwhile, Cllr Lovell said he'd been told several times Network Rail simply doesn't want any surface crossing. He added: "The more I hear about this, the more I think we should stand up and say this is not acceptable."

Rail bosses have wanted to close the surface crossing at Wareham for years, citing safety concerns as reasons why. However, town residents - who argue the crossing is part of a vital route linking the town centre to Northmoor - have been largely opposed to the move.

Even one of Wareham's most famous residents, the iconic actor Edward Fox, has campaigned against the new ramped bridge.

Out of the 50 comments received by PDC regarding the bridge application, 49 raised concerns.

In 2016 more than 2,200 people signed a petition calling for the retention of the surface crossing, which is controlled by locking gates and manned by a security guard.

One idea is for the gates to be linked to the signal system, in much the same way as the pedestrian crossing in Poole town centre is.

DCC and Network Rail want to build new access ramps on either side of the existing listed rail bridge at Wareham station, which is directly next to the surface crossing.

Residents say they're concerned about the proposed steep one-in-12 gradient and the increased time it would add to journeys between the north and south of town. The existing surface crossing is 21 metres long, while crossing using the ramped bridge would be 141 metres.