THE man behind plans to transform the Branksome Beach restaurant says many of its critics will become customers once the scheme is built.

Luke Davis hopes to have his Rockwater Village scheme ready to open by the end of June or July next year after winning planning permission from BCP Council.

His plans for Branksome Chine and Sandbanks are modelled on the Rockwater operation he already runs at Hove. He said the Branksome site would be used by yoga and Pilates classes and sea swimmers, as well as being a venue for comedy and music.

He said attitudes had changed when his business opened a “shack” selling food and drink at the former Branksome Chine beach shop last year.

“I think the shack’s opening down there changed that a lot. There was a shift in the mindset from just fear that we were bringing some sort of Benidorm atmosphere to Branksome, which isn’t true.

"When they saw the shack and the way it was open from 7am for coffee for dog walkers and swimmers, it’s brought that area to life a little bit. It’s enhanced the area rather than taken away from it.

“That’s all we want to do, enhance the beauty that’s already there and create more of a sense of community for the people that were objecting. I’m pretty sure that they will be customers in the future.”

The application attracted 226 objections.

Mr Davis said there had been a “small group” that were “pro-actively against Rockwater” and that there had been misconceptions about what the business would do.

He said the development could open next June or July.

“It’s huge news that we’ve got the application today because we would have missed all next summer otherwise,” he said.

The plans for the Branksome site include a family restaurant on the ground floor, with an upstairs venue which will have a retractable roof.

“The shacks are the first indications of the style and vibe that we’re going for but actually we’ve designed Rockwater for the community that it sits in,” Mr Davis said.

He said his original site in Hove was intended to be “something that me and my family would love””.

“That was how the whole thing came together and the same thing applied in Poole,” he said.

“We want to build something that a community loves and that I would be happy with if I loved across the road.”

Rockwater's plans for Sandbanks have yet to appear before planning councillors.