A 160-pitch touring caravan and camping site could be turned into a static caravan park under plans submitted to Borough of Poole.

The proposal for Merley Court Touring Park includes demolishing existing buildings and replacing all 160 pitches with 83 two and three bedroom timber holiday lodges.

The Merley House Lane site, which falls in greenbelt land, has been in use as a touring holiday park since the early 1980s and includes a shop, entertainment lounge and bar and laundry and washing facilities, park warden housing, tennis courts, a children’s play area and outdoor swimming pool.

Owners Shorefield Holidays Ltd have submitted plans for up to 83 lodges measuring around six by 12m, with raised decking and reinforced grass parking bays.

A dozen similar such lodges have recently being constructed in the woodlands to the east of the site.

The move has brought in a number of objections including from Judith Forsey a director of nearby Hitch-N-Pitch which services and supplies equipment for touring caravans.

They could stand to lose half of their business as a result.

She added: “I think it would also be detrimental for the area as a whole. Merley Court is the only touring park in the Borough of Poole.

“By allowing the change of use it will drive away holidaymakers from the town because they have nowhere to go.”

Her views were echoed by several others, including Poole resident Barbara Marsh, who said: “This application just reduces the facilities and choices for visitors to the area.”

A planning statement submitted with the application states: “Although the proposal will reduce the number of units it will generate compensatory economic spend within the local economy through more affluent visitors to the area more consistently through the year.”

And despite the concerns raised over the issue, Poole Tourism manager Graham Richardson did not object.

In his consultation response he said: “One negative will be the loss of 160 touring pitches, but looking at the numbers of alternative pitch sites available in the local area I do not envisage this having a major impact on supply.”

Consultation ends on February 13. A decision on the proposal should be made by early March.