DESPITE support from local councillors and a design panel, the latest plans for the Pier Head site in Swanage have gone the way of all the others rejection.

Purbeck District Council's planning committee turned down the proposals by seven votes to three at their meeting on Thursday.

Although the mix of flats and shops had won over Swanage Town Council for the first time, some residents complained it would be the "IMAX of Swanage" likening it to Bournemouth's most controversial building and the district council backed them.

Neil Seaney-Smith, senior planning officer, writes in his report: "The historic context is critical in being able to analyse what may be appropriate on such a highly sensitive site.

"Despite the planning history, the basic problem of scale of development has still not been addressed. The scale, bulk and massing of the building, particularly its height, would dominate the site and the consequent wider townscape implications would be enormous."

Developer Nick Storer's plans have now been turned down seven times over a period of 19 years.

"I'm disappointed but not surprised. It seems absurd that the views of the town council, the residents' association and this prestigious South West Design Review Panel should all be ignored."

An appeal is ongoing from the plans that were rejected last year, and Mr Storer plans to appeal this latest decision as well.

He said: "We passionately believe in this design for an entirely new style of building which will make a very positive contribution to the seafront area."

It was not all negative, with committee chairman John Hyde directing the officers to "try and negotiate suitable modifications" for a solution.

Bill Trite, leader of Purbeck District Council, said: "We have to be concerned about the niche that Swanage occupies. If we modernise in an attempt to compete with Bournemouth or Brighton we'll end up nowhere.

"It's not a matter of being a stick in the mud, we just need a proposal on a slightly smaller scale."