CONTROVERSIAL proposals for a 650-seat beach arena at Sandbanks have been rejected by Poole council.

Seven of the eight councillors on the Borough of Poole’s planning committee refused the plans yesterday - despite planning officers recommending them for approval.

The proposal, which was submitted by property mogul Eddie Mitchell, promised to retain the 1928 pavilion, but with the addition of a predominantly glass second floor.

It also included 44 additional beach huts, new children’s play areas, an outside classroom and sand dunes education area, a 3G multi use surface and a ticket office.

The scheme has proved extremely controversial with residents and objections have also been voiced by Dorset Police, Dorset Wildlife Trust and the council’s own transport and environment bosses.

At the meeting yesterday councillors voted against the plans due to inadequate car parking, lack of provision for additional toilet facilities, concerns about wildlife protection and a loss of open space.

Speaking during the debate committee chairman Peter Pawlowski said he “couldn’t understand why the officer had recommended the application for approval”.

He added: “This application has no merit whatsoever and I’m just staggered it’s come forward in this form. I will not be supporting it.”

Fellow committee member Graham Wilson also voiced his concerns about the scheme and said he would not be supporting it because he couldn’t see how it was an improvement for the area.

One of the major issues of contention regarding the scheme was car parking facilities.

The application did not include any additional parking spaces as it was believed that an additional 293 spaces to serve the arena would be “an inefficient use of the land” as the arena would be at full capacity “infrequently”.

Committee member Joanne Tomlin said that when the arena and the beach huts were in use there would be less than 100 spaces for residents wanting to visit the beaches.

Canford Cliffs ward councillors Mohan Iyengar and May Haines also spoke against the plans.

Cllr Haines told the committee the scheme was “not viable”.

She added: “What people value when they come to our our beaches is the open aspect they provide. They don’t come to see a football arena that’s sunk into the sand.”

Meanwhile Cllr Iyengar voiced concerns about losing half of the children’s play area and the golf course if the plans were to go ahead.

No one spoke during the meeting on behalf of the application.

However following the decision Mr Mitchell told the Echo: “I am surprised councillors had ignored the recommendation of paid professionals.”

He also said he had not decided whether he would appeal the decision and would make an informed decision once he had read the reasons for refusal in full.

This was the second scheme submitted by Mr Mitchell to transform the Sandbanks pavilion.

It’s a scaled-back version of the larger 3,900 seat arena he first proposed in December 2014.