A FORMER motel said to have been the inspiration for the long-running television soap Crossroads could soon be flattened.

Owners of The Open Country bar/restaurant near Fordingbridge have appealed to the Department of the Environment against council refusals to replace the building with five luxury homes.

New Forest district planners claim the scheme would damage the countryside and deprive long-haul motorists of a valuable stopping-off point on the A338.

But a public hearing in Ringwood was told that the ageing building can no longer pay its way, and a batch of new homes would yield far more benefits for the area.

The Open Country, at North Gorley, was one of the first motels in the country, and Crossroads creator Bill Grundy is believed to have devised the popular drama - recently revived by ITV - after visiting the building in the early 1960s.

It had undergone a number of changes in the years since. A spell as a nightclub triggered controversy, culminating in a £6,000 court fine last year for noise nuisance.

Subsequent attempts by owner Ian White to switch to money-spinning residential development have failed in the face of countryside planning rules.

However, his representative, Michael Nolan, told planning inspector Brian Meardon: "I fully accept this is contrary to council policy, but feel there are special circumstances.

"The buildings on the site are not appropriate to the countryside. Five properties would have much less impact on the area than other commercial uses which could be introduced."

But district council planning officer Bridget Denford said the site would soon be part of the New Forest National Park and could not be treated as an urban location.

And council highways officer Ian Elvin added: "It has been used for many years by motorists to take a much-needed break. We would lose an important facility."

A decision will be made in the next couple of months.