THE applicant for a town green on a Poole open space has dismissed fears that the air ambulance would be barred from landing.

David Howard, vice-chairman of Parkstone Bay Association has submitted an application for Baiter and Whitecliff to be registered as a town green, to preserve the area from the threat of development.

However Borough of Poole has received four letters of objection, including one from Poole Hospital, which raised a concern that the air ambulance might not be able to land if the area had the protection of a town green.

Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance claimed lives could be put at risk if it was unable to land casualties on the Whitecliff helipad to be transferred to Poole Hospital, which runs the major emergency unit for East Dorset.

But Mr Howard said it was wrong to suggest that any present use of a piece of land would change if it became a town green.

He said it was clear in law and had been subject to a Supreme Court ruling.

“The three law lords made it quite clear nothing changes the existing status of a piece of ground by a town green. No way would it affect the existing use of the site and that includes a helicopter landing,” he said.

Objections have also come from the Borough of Poole’s leisure services department, which owns the land, and Wessex Water, which has a number of surface water sewers, pumping station and a foul sewer rising main on the east of the land.

A fourth objection has come from a resident. The applicant now has a period of time to respond to the objections and it is likely that it will go to an independent inquiry.