REVISED plans for a controversial harbourside housing development at West Bay have failed to win over town councillors.

"Better - but still not good enough" was the verdict when the plans committee considered Wyatt Homes' latest design for 45 flats, a restaurant and shops on the Old Shipyard site.

The company's original "futuristic" design was rejected by district council planners in June after they branded it "brash and tacky".

Now the firm has modified the scheme to incorporate Portland stone instead of render on the main building, enlarged the windows to make it lighter and done away with the unpopular curved roofs on the link buildings.

Speaking during the public forum before Monday's meeting architect Phil Easton said that the changes to the building, although quite modest, had addressed some of the main concerns.

The scheme was now supported "without reservation" by advisory groups including English Heritage.

Mr Easton confirmed for the first time that the ground floor section in the main seafront building would be used for a pub or restaurant and that a brewery was already showing "a lot of interest" in acquiring it.

Tony Matthews, of the West Bay Society, reiterated his group's objections, warning that the five storey main building would tower over the resort, blocking out people's light.

It would condemn them to living in the equivalent of the "Black Hole of Calcutta", he warned.

"It is overbearing, overshadowing and alien to West Bay." Mayor Geoff Ackerman said the main building was "far too high" and Coun Tony Harrison described the scheme as "a gaggle of beehives".

"You could see better on the Costa Brava - this is very poor," he said.

Coun Christine Clare said she liked some aspects but in general it was too high and would overpower the whole seafront.

"Take two layers off and it would improve it tremendously," she suggested.

Coun Richard Nicholls said the scheme failed to provide social housing and was contrary to district plan guidance.

Council Leader Charles Wild reminded the committee of the developers' fallback position - to build a previously approved scheme which planning chiefs have described as "pastiche architecture" of the worst kind with dummy doors and windows.

Coun Wild said Wyatt Homes had now started work on this building to safeguard their consent and this had removed any hope that there would be no development at all on the site.

But he said that even if their latest design was being put forward as the only other option it was still not right for West Bay.

"It may be typical seaside architecture and okay for somewhere like Poole but not a working harbour and fishing village like West Bay," he said.

"This would tip the balance and change West Bay forever."

Coun Sally Bagnall added: "It's better - but still not good enough."

The committee unanimously agreed to object to the plan.