BOURNEMOUTH council plans to build rental flats on a former play area.

The borough wants to build a block of 10 one, two and three bedroom flats on a piece of land between 22 Crescent Road and the A338 Wessex Way, next to the Central Gardens

According to its application the new block, with homes made available on the private rental market, will utilise a state-of-the-art German design to maximise energy efficiency.

A planning statement by Gale & Snowden Architects says: "The building has been designed using the Passivhaus methodology.

"A Passivhaus is a building in which a comfortable interior climate can be maintained without active heating and cooling systems.

"The house heats and cools itself, hence 'passive'. The Passivhaus was developed in Germany and has since become ‘the world’s leading standard in energy efficient construction’.

"Increased insulation standards, exceptional levels of air tightness and a compact building skin are elemental components for this relatively new standard.

"By choosing the best orientation for the building and by optimising solar gains, the energy performance of the proposed design has been improved so that a conventional heating system is not required."

The flats will be designed to match Government standards on floor space, the council says, and may retain heat as much as five times better then normal homes.

None of the flats will be affordable homes.

The borough first approved the principle of building on the site back in January 2017.

The council agreed to support the 'prudential borrowing' required to meet the costs of the development, which was then projected to generate £5.3 million over the 45 year term of a lease to Seascape Homes and Property, the council's wholly-owned rental company.

The cabinet report stated: “Alternative uses for this site were considered; however an asset review in 2013 identified this site for a residential flat scheme, subject to planning, in order to maximise its value and town centre location.

“Due to its size constraints alternative uses such as educational or care facilities were considered not viable.”

A £2.4 million scheme for 16 one and two bedroom flats was prepared but never submitted.