BOURNEMOUTH Spartans are appealing to the council not to freeze them out of the redevelopment plans for Honeycombe Chine.

The club, which has been promoting the benefits of winter sea bathing since 1951, has lost its Boscombe accommodation because of the redevelopment.

And it now appears the new development will not include a replacement facility and the club will have to manage with just a beach hut and the new communal changing areas.

Dave O'Donnell, chair of Bournemouth Spartans, said: "Bournemouth council has always looked after us well over the years and I naturally assumed this would continue with the redevelopment.

"The seafront developer manager Chris Saunders has been very helpful but it seems such a shame that we can't have a place in the new development. We don't need much, just a secure storage area and a power point so we can have hot drinks after swimming. We are just hoping the council will reconsider before the actual development is built.

"If the worst comes to the worst, we will have to manage with what's available. We're not going to let this stop us swimming but it just seems a shame."

Chris Saunders, the council's business development manager for leisure services, said: "We had a meeting with the chairman of the Spartans and two sites were offered including one at Boscombe Spa.

"They opted for the preferred site at Alum Chine which was formally offered to them and accepted. We have since received a letter expressing concerns over the site and we plan to discuss their issues with them shortly."