SWANAGE'S famous diving school is submerged in a battle with Purbeck council over their dreams to give their home on the pier a much-needed facelift.

Celebrating their 50th anniversary this year, Divers Down, thought to be the oldest dive school in the country, are keen to make the improvements they believe are long overdue.

Several proposals, involving repainting and enhancing their facilities, have been put forward in recent years, but they have yet to receive the thumbs-up from the council.

The dive school say they have widespread support for their good intentions, but Purbeck council planners insist the pier's listed status has to be taken into consideration.

Pat Collins, who runs the diving school with partner Pete Williams, said: "The place is getting run-down and looks shabby.

"We want to tidy it up like everyone else but the council won't tell us what they want.

"People come from all round the country to dive here and they use the B&Bs and pubs.

"It is a huge thing for the town and it is a shame not to see it getting better."

Russ Johnson, pier manager, said the dive centre, which can attract up to 500 divers on a peak summer's day, almost single-handedly kept the pier alive.

He said: "They need improvements to their facilities to keep people coming.

"We don't want to build blocks of flats, just tidy up the place.

"The planners have told us our suggestions have been too Georgian, too Victorian or not iconic enough, so they seem to know what they want."

The pier itself is a grade II listed structure and plays an important part in Swanage's heritage.

Alan Davies, principal planning officer at Purbeck council, said any work on the structure had to "respect the context" of the surroundings.

He said: "The pier is very important to Swanage and to date, the designs that have been put forward simply don't come up to the quality of building required.

"The school is very popular and helps the town's economy, so we are keen to work with them to reach a mutually agreeable solution."