A CHARITY fireworks night at the Fairmile Hotel next month has fizzled out after landlords fenced off an area of the pub garden and car park, sparking fears the land could be redeveloped.

Plans for the popular bonfire night party, which has raised thousands of pounds for local causes in recent years, suffered a setback when long time managers quit at the beginning of October.

New tenants of the pub, owned by the Midlands-based Enterprise Inns concern, declined to contribute £600 towards the costs of the evening and told fireworks organisers an area of car park and adjoining grounds was not included in their tenancy and would be fenced off.

Firework display organiser Bob McNair said: "This land is essential to the display. It is where the fireworks are set off and along with part of the car park fenced off allows us to have the safety distance from the crowd.

"The problems with the funding, and the uncertainty as to the availability of the land, led the committee to make the sad decision to cancel the event." Mr McNair added.

Now locals fear for the future of the wooded garden of the pub extending to the rear of properties in Albion Road.

"This would be a large plot of land, and in the eyes of a developer big enough to build dozens of rabbit hutch flats," said one neighbour.

No comment was forthcoming from Enterprise Inns but a spokesperson at Christchurch council said they were not aware of any approaches for planning permission to develop the site.