FEARS of a morgue operating along a residential street have been quashed.

Concerns had been voiced by residents in Hamworthy – and another local undertaker – after plans emerged on the BCP Council's online planning portal in February in relation to a funeral directors.

Neighbours were stunned after viewing the retrospective planning permission application, which called for a change of use for a building at Coles Avenue, Hamworthy, Poole, from residential to retail.

While no official documentation from or on behalf of the applicant, Mr R Hilder, mentioned anything at all relating to a morgue, confusion may have been caused by an attachment 'block plan' summary included with the application which did refer to the proposals as 'morgue'.

Indeed this document still remained lodged on the council website where Poole planning applications can be viewed yesterday.

Some people feared a morgue had been in operation close to residential homes for some time. This is not the case.

Now, in an email to the Daily Echo from Dorset Property Services, the planning company acting for the applicant, chartered surveyor Simon Munnings stressed: "We are writing to confirm there is no planning application for a morgue at Coles Avenue."

In his email, Mr Munnings also included comments pertaining to be from a BCP Council planning officer, who confirmed: "Regarding the reference to ‘morgue’, I have checked through the information we have received from yourself and the detail inputted onto our system for the planning application and I cannot find anything using this word.

"The application description is ‘Retrospective Change of use of a building and land from C3 Residential to an A1 Retail use in connection with a funeral directors.’"

However, as stated, there is reference to morgue on this block plan summary document which is published online.

Mr Munnings added: "Comments made by neighbours, objectors and through the press have been particularly unhelpful to the applicant, and these comments will make it difficult for the local planning authority to give an unbiased decision."