Poole Town’s arrival in Bearwood has been hailed as a coup for the community.

The football club’s 17-year search for a permanent new home was finally ended when Poole’s planning board unanimously voted through their plans for a new ground off Magna Road – against officers’ recommendations.

The £2m proposals include a state-of-the-art artificial pitch and new community facilities inside the ground’s main stand.

As one of the borough’s outer districts, Bearwood has comparatively few facilities, so the arrival of the town’s football club has been widely welcomed.

David Brown, councillor for Merley and Bearwood, said: “I am proud that we are going to be the home of Poole Town. The club is very community orientated, and I know the primary school and youth club are very keen to have them here.

“Most of the Bearwood community is very supportive of the scheme.”

On top of the new leisure facilities, the area could also benefit from infrastructure improvements.

Magna Road and its junction with Knighton Lane could be upgraded to cope with football traffic, while match days may see increased bus services to the ground.

A comprehensive transport plan was one of the conditions laid down by the council in granting the Dolphins’ scheme.

Other residents’ concerns due to be addressed include noise and light pollution from floodlights.

Planning officers had recommended the football club’s application be turned down as the land was deemed crucial to the town’s economic development.

But Stephen Thorne, the council’s head of planning, said: “In weighing up all the issues, members of the committee concluded that this was an exceptional application for a number of reasons.

“They also made it clear that the remainder of the land should be safeguarded for future employment use.”