Now a planning inspector, is considering two sets of plans for houses on the site.

Gary Grant, representing the developers Lambourne Development Ltd, said the peninsula's property values made it highly unlikely that anyone would be interested in taking over the boat yard.

But Richard Genge, of Poole's planning department, replied: "If it was just left to commercial drivers, we would lose every hotel in the centre of Poole; we would lose boat yards and car parks because of the high land values.

"The authority has not been presented with any evidence to demonstrate why the boat store could not continue."