RESIDENTS have protested over a plan by a Wareham landowner for a new access road to his historic home to create a new venue for polo club competitions.

The application from the Bestwall Estate Company is for a new access for the historic North Bestwall House which was sold several years ago by a major sand and gravel company which has been excavating minerals from an open cast mine between the twin rivers of Wareham down to the edge of Poole Harbour.

Permission for the quarrying operations was won on appeal in the early 1990s and the land has been progressively restored to agriculture.

The estate company wants to retain part of a haul road used by the minerals company which, according to the appeal approval conditions, should be restored to its previous condition.

The application proposes the creation of a new access to the house from Bestwall Road, which would link two parts of the estate's 211 acres of meadow land to the north and south of that road from a point beyond the entrance to the local rugby club ground and before the junction for Swineham Farm.

The current access to the house takes a north Bestwall Road route - a narrow lane leading off from the side of the Wareham walls which in part is a public path. Residents fear more agricultural vehicles and horse box traffic along Bestwall Road.

The concerns about the creation of a polo club as a venue for competitions have been answered by the agent acting for landowner Simon Patterson.

He has told Purbeck District Council planners: "This is not the case. My client has an interest in riding, playing polo and horse-breeding which has required the improvement of the land at Bestwall to allow his horses to be maintained and trained."

The agent added: "If he was to set up a polo club, or have competitions, this would be controlled by normal planning regulations."

Wareham Civic Society said it is concerned the plan will lead to intensification of the use of the estate and additional traffic. The town council has submitted a strong objection and claims its town clerk had been told by the landowner that he was planning polo events.

Town councillors claim the estate has 'much exaggerated' the conflict between walkers and vehicles on the present access route on North Bestwall Road and that this does not justify creating an additional new access road.

The town council statement said: "The owner of the Bestwall Estate has informed the town clerk that he proposes to open a polo field on his property.

"This fact has not been mentioned in the current application and has therefore not been taken into account by the highway authority in its response stating that it does not object."

The statement added: "In reality the proposed new access will facilitate additional activities and events on the Bestwall Estate - some of which may not in themselves require planning permission - which would generate substantial extra traffic onto the public highway".

Local councillors fear that the traffic along a residential road "could potentially substantially increase".

With the firm opposition of the town council to the plan - which is due for a delegated decision by planners - it is only likely to go before district councillors if there is a recommendation for its approval.