HUNDREDS of thousands of pounds of 'compensation' will be paid to offset harm to environmentally sensitive areas of Poole should major plans for the redevelopment of three Sandbanks hotels be approved.

Richard Carr’s plans for the replacement of the Sandbanks Hotel include a new 171-bedroom hotel, replacement of the the Haven Hotel with three blocks of residential apartments and erection of a 38-suite “aparthotel” on the site of the Harbour Heights Hotel.

Mr Carr said he expects the proposals, first submitted in 2017, to finally go before the planning committee in January.

However, among one of the hundreds of responses to the contentious plans, Richard Brown of Dorset Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) said compensation should be made due to the potential harm to sensitive locations like Shell Bay and Brownsea Island.

Bournemouth Echo: CGI of the hotel developments in Sandbanks

The group has called for £100,000 to be paid upon the commencement of development of the Haven Hotel, and £10,000 per year for 80 years, starting as soon as the first flat was occupied.

Mr Carr told the Daily Echo he agreed to the compensation, and said he was "happy to contribute".

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He said: "The money will be put to good causes, it will be used for replanting a lot of pine trees on the peninsula and we are happy to pay it.

"Part of the rationale for the development is that it's a betterment for the ecology and environment.

"The carbon footprint will be reduced by 50 per cent and if this development goes forward it reduces the amount of tarmac. We are happy to contribute to a scheme that is going to be good for the environment."

Bournemouth Echo: CGI of the hotel developments in Sandbanks

He added: “I would suggest why would the borough not want to have two brand new, state of the art hotels?

“Why would people who are visiting here not want two state of the art hotels?

“For what reason would the local community not want to have brand new amenities, what is the credible reason for this not happening?

“At the end of the day it is a £200 million investment into the tourism industry.”

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Mr Carr said the hotel provisions would be increased if the development was approved, and it would help “build back better”.

However, David Morley, of the Sandbanks Community Group, who have been campaigning against the plans, said changing the Haven from a hotel to flats would “rip the heart out of Sandbanks”.

Bournemouth Echo: CGI of the hotel developments in Sandbanks

He said: “We don’t think the Haven site should have a change of use from a hotel, there’s been a hotel there for 160 years, the loss of a hotel would be a 100-year mistake.

"It is the most unique spot for many miles and it is a place that the public should be able to enjoy, if you take that away you rip the heart out of Sandbanks.”

NHS Dorset said funding would be needed to help it manage additional patients.

It said the new units on the Haven Hotel site would create 285 potential new patients and £13,993 would be needed from the Haven Hotel development for new clinical rooms needed to manage the increase.