SCALED down plans for Ferndown’s old Dormy Hotel site have failed to impress residents and councillors.

De-Vere Hotels and Leisure Limited’s new designs for the 8.5 acre New Road plot, which has been derelict since 2004, include a 74-bedroom hotel, six affordable and 18 open market homes, a nursing home, an EMI Care Unit and sheltered flats.

At a recent planning meeting attended by around 40 people, Ferndown town council’s planning committee rejected the proposals as an ‘overdevelopment’.

They want to see more affordable housing and the scrapping of the ‘care village’ to free up space.

The council’s negative feedback on more ambitious plans prompted architects Design Q to withdraw a previous application last October. It has since removed around 13 hotel rooms and now lists ‘restaurant and leisure facilities’ instead of two restaurants and a spa. Residents commenting on the planning application foresee “horrendous problems” from “cramming too much in”, and question the need for another care home in the town.

Style is also criticised. One objector said: “The care home can be described as a barracks.”

The Dormy Hotel was once a thriving venue for visitors and locals alike.

Colin Dennard, of Dudsbury Avenue, worked in hospitality for 45 years and questions whether a new hotel could succeed where the original Dormy failed. He said: “It seems to me that this is an overdevelopment for the area for profit reasons only. Another care home in Ferndown, when the area is already saturated with them, is just not on.”

But Barrie Ring, of New Road, welcomes the “long overdue” redevelopment. He sees promise in having the nearest 4 star hotel to Bournemouth International Airport and welcomes the jobs boost.

East Dorset District council will make a final decision.