ATTEMPTS to build three air conditioning units on a shopping premises in a Ringwood conservation area have been dismissed at appeal.

Specsavers had its application for the site in The Furlong turned down by New Forest District Council turned down in June last year.

The national opticians appealed the decision to the planning inspectorate, however this has now also knocked been back.

A planning inspector's report says: "The public benefit advanced would not justify this particular scheme.

"On balance, I conclude that the development fails to preserve the character or appearance of the conservation area."