REVISED plans to convert 12 hectares of greenbelt land in Throop into a public nature park have been submitted by BCP Council.

Having had its first application refused by its own planning committee last year, the council has tweaked the designs for its Hicks Farm scheme in a bid to win approval.

Without having permission for a Sang (suitable alternative natural greenspace), it is unable to green light major developments in Bournemouth town centre, including the Winter Gardens project.

The first application drew more 200 letters of objection with concerns about the "detrimental and significant" impact it would have.

“It is ironic that an area that is the last bastion of untouched countryside adjacent to the conservation area is being used to mitigate town centre development and reduce visitor pressure elsewhere,” a spokesman for Throop Village Conservation Group said.

Despite planning officers recommending it be approved , the scheme was rejected by the council’s planning committee in October.

Its concerns mostly focused on the impact of the proposed car park on the area and the wider effect on the green belt.

The new planning application, submitted earlier this month, proposes moving the car park further south west along with increasing the size of bunds around its boundary and extra planting to screen it from view.

Also included in the plans is for the access road to be narrowed to reduce the impact on the designated conservation areas.

Fencing proposed on the edge of the park has also been extended to cover the full length of the River Stour to better protect the habitat.

“Taken together, and in total, these are significant and important changes to the original submission refused by the committee and warrant reconsideration and support for the merits of the proposals,” a statement submitted by the council’s planning consultant, Chapman Lily Planning.

The council is required to create a Sang to mitigate the impact of town centre developments.

One of the conditions applied as part of the approval of the redevelopment of the Winter Gardens site in Bournemouth is that one be given planning permission before any of the residential parts of the project can be built.

Funding for the project is made up of mitigation contributions required by the council as part of the approval of developments.

Council planning officers will consider the application in the coming months.