PROPERTY developer Eddie Mitchell has revealed new plans to renovate Sandbanks Pavilion.

In November last year Mr Mitchell withdrew ambitious plans to demolish the pavilion and build a 1,754 seat beach football arena at the site, saying he thought they would likely fall foul of Borough of Poole’s planning policies.

The new scheme would see the Victorian pavilion restored “back to its original build” with a flat roof and dome, alongside an unenclosed open air playing surface for sports and other activities, including an ice rink.

Mr Mitchell said he and his firm Seven Developments had come up with the new scheme over Christmas after “listening to the local community and comments from the council”.

“I suppose I have changed my own mind, I have got more into it as we have been working on the plans and we have come up with a scheme which I think will be more pleasing for everybody,” he said.

“We are keeping the pavilion and bringing it back to its former glory.

“Its form has been butchered, especially with the pitched concrete roof. It was built with a flat roof with a nice balustrade but I think this was replaced in the 1970s or 80s.”

Last year Mr Mitchell said he envisaged the ‘Sandsports Stadium’ becoming the home of UK beach football, and he still intends for the site to play host to sports contests.

“It was going to be an enclosed sports arena but we have taken away the enclosure,” he said.

“The only time it would be sectioned off is if a licensed event took place or when used as a winter ice rink, which I think would bring much-needed visitors to the area during the winter months.”

He said passersby would be able to watch events on the pitch from nearby sand dunes.

The original scheme also threatened the demise of the area’s playground and crazy golf course, but the new plans will see both facilities maintained after a fashion.

The developer said they would be reconstructed with modern equipment allowing them to be installed on a temporary basis and varied to allow other entertainment facilities to take their place, such as pitch and putt or a climbing frame.

Also, plans for luxury beach huts and studios have been scaled down.

“There won’t be as many beach huts. They will be small huts more in keeping with what is already there,” said Mr Mitchell.

The plans, which have yet to be submitted to Borough of Poole, also incorporate a band stand, outdoor classroom areas and a preserved area of dunes to teach youngsters about the littoral ecosystem.

Mr Mitchell said he has received positive feedback for his ideas, describing the current site as “old and dilapidated”.

“I think it is important to regenerate this area,” he said.

The project has received a number of objections, including one resident who said it could become “Poole’s Imax”, in reference to neighbouring Bournemouth’s controversial seafront cinema - which was eventually demolished after being labelled as one of the UK’s “most hated” buildings in a Channel 4 documentary.

And earlier this month council transport officer Lee Smith submitted a letter to his planning colleagues, which said: “The proposals fail to provide for, or satisfactorily mitigate, the resultant increased parking demands and traffic congestion that will occur on surrounding roads and routes to the site as a result of the development.

“The proposal will lead to increase vehicle trawling of the area whilst drivers look for parking spaces, increase vehicle manoeuvring and queuing on surrounding highway routes, unacceptable levels of parking in residential streets and within existing public parking facilities.”

He said this could lead to “safety dangers and congestion” and would be “to the detriment of the street environment and the aims of sustainability.”