RESIDENTS are up in arms over plans to demolish a former community building.

The Forest Preschool in Northmoor, Wareham, closed in 2007 after 40 years. The land was given to Maureen Selby, who ran the school, to use by Fred Cummings, who later set up Poole-based FH Cummings Unlimited.

Mrs Selby says Mr Cummings told her she could use the land for as long as she wanted, but now the company, run today by Mr Cummings’ children – two of whom attended the school – has taken it back to build two houses.

Mrs Selby said she could not afford to buy the land and added: “I was very sad to have to be told to get out when we were supposed to be celebrating 40 years of the pre-school. I was really upset about it.”

Neighbour Fiona Sullivan said: “We’ve lost the preschool, which my daughter would have gone to, so we will have to go further away now.”

Mrs Sullivan’s home backs onto the site and her family’s worry is light being blocked out.

She said another gripe was that a park was opposite the site and the proposals included converting what was a footpath into a road, with safety a concern.

FH Cummings director Steve Cummings said the building was “past its sell by date”.

“I had to look at it and see what the most sensible thing to do was. We couldn’t be held liable if anything happened to those kids,” he said.

“I spoke to Mrs Selby and as far as I was concerned it was totally amicable. We gave her virtually a year to sort things out. Suddenly after a period of time she got quite upset about it.”

Mr Cummings said the firm was going to “great lengths” to make sure that there was no overlooking of existing homes.

He said that the track was not a footpath, was not a right of way and belonged to Cummings. It was not proposed to widen it.