A WIMBORNE fitness club has been refused permission to use a marquee for up to two years.

Dorset Council has rejected the planning application from HIT Fitness-Wimborne Boxing Club for its corner site at Legg Lane.

The application led to objections from some neighbours and reservations from the town council. It said that, while wishing to support facilities for younger people, it did have concerns that the marquee would not be in keeping with the residential nature of the area.

The club, which has more than a hundred members, wanted to use the marquee to provide extra classes and space for an additional boxing ring.

Its application offered to keep class times to 5pm to 8.30pm Monday to Friday; 9am to noon on Saturday with only ten people in the marquee at any time.

Said the application: “Following this two year period, then either there will be a further temporary period applied for if the impacts upon the neighbours have been deemed acceptable or there could be an application for a more permanent building to be erected.”

Many residents were not convinced of the proposals. One wrote to Dorset Council: “The parking/dropping off situation in Legg Lane and Parkwood Road is already shocking, especially at morning and afternoon school drop off time. No notice is taken of the existing double yellow lines with people parking on them, blocking drives and entrances and generally causing mayhem. To pass this application will exacerbate the situation considerably.”

Said another: “Hit Fitness has been very successful since opening in Wimborne but we believe it has outgrown its present location. The erecting of this marquee is not the answer to this…The area already has a problem with church, school and business traffic so we do not want to see an opportunity to expand this. We have endured a summer of late evening classes outside in their outside training area, a structure that apparently needed no planning permission. We will not accept the possibility of longer classes with noise and bright lights going on even later under canvas.”

A Dorset Council planning report concluded that the marquee would be out of place in the area: “Located on a corner plot the marquee would be in a very prominent position. Due to its “front garden” position relative to the street, the marquee would appear very out of place, extending significantly past the main residential building line, and closely juxtaposed with traditionally designed residential development. For these reasons the proposal is considered to be incompatible with its surroundings.”