Neighbours of a prestigious yacht club are fighting plans to expand its marina, fearing that boat owners will be able to snoop into their luxury homes.
The Royal Motor Yacht Club (RMYC), which is situated in Sandbanks, Poole, wants to increase the number of berths for yachts and needs to extend its marina further into Poole harbour to do so.
The club, where Prince Philip held the role of admiral for almost 70 years, has been advised by Natural England to remove 24 moorings in the harbour because of the damage boat anchors cause to eelgrass beds.
The RMYC will replace these moorings with extra berths within its enlarged marina.
To one side of the clubhouse is a row of exclusive properties that back onto the water. Some of the owners of these homes have objected to the proposals, citing an invasion of privacy caused by boaters being able to peer into their gardens and homes.
There are also concerns that the vibrations from piling work required to expand the marina may cause structural damage to the houses, each of which has a value between £2m and £3m.
As well as the potential damage to their properties, homeowners are worried about the impact the work will have on their private jetties.
There are fears that the work will shift sediment that will then accumulate under the jetties, which will need maintenance dredging to ensure that they are accessible in the future.
Frank Carr, a neighbour of the yacht club, said: “We live four doors down from the RMYC. We have three concerns.
“Privacy: the extension brings large boats much closer to us. We object to this as they will look directly into our private spaces.
“Sand deposition: the paperwork describes seabed movement and material shifting west. We are worried that sand will build up under our jetty.
“Risk to our home: our house dates from the 1930s, and whilst it is not listed, planners have called it a first-generation house within the Sandbanks CA (conservation area).
“We ask for a structural survey before work starts, and limits on noise and vibration, with monitoring through the piling. We also ask that works are halted immediately if and when damage occurs, pending further investigation.”
A fellow neighbour has questioned the visual impact the large marina will have on the conservation area. She is also seeking assurances that any structural damage caused to property during the construction work will be repaired.
The foreshore behind the houses is currently a public space, and is used and enjoyed by people at low tide at sunrise and sunset.
Alexandra Catallo said that the new berths would permanently remove part of the space. She added: “We cannot see the benefit that outweighs that loss.”
The Environment Agency has raised concerns about the amount of sediment that could encroach onto the backs of the properties on Old Coastguard Road as a result of the expanded marina. The agency has also questioned the loss of a sensitive sand dune as a result of the waterborne development.
In a design and access statement submitted to Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP) council, the RMYC said it was an important part of the Sandbanks community and that many residents were members of the club.
It added that the proposed expansion was intended to consolidate members’ berths once the moorings were removed.
The statement went on to say that the owners of houses on Old Coastguard Road would not lose their views of the harbour because of the extension to the marina, and that it would not affect them.
BCP council will decide on the application in the next few weeks.
The Telegraph has contacted the Royal Motor Yacht Club for comment.