Seven-storey block of retirement flats to be built in Poole

BCP Council has given permission for Churchill Retirement Living to build the flats - for private ownership - next to the Hunger Hill roundabout.

The development will be built on the National Tyres and Autocare site and will bring more residential property to the town centre.

The company said the building will have 45 one-bedroom and 18 two-bedroom flats, all of which will be restricted to people aged 60 and over.

There will also be 25 parking spaces, mainly under the building, a lounge and a coffee bar for residents.

Submissions within the planning application said: "The proposal will create an attractive development of retirement housing with a building design which respects and enhances the character of both the immediate vicinity and the wider area.

"It reintroduces residential use to the town centre to increase the attractiveness of Poole as both a place to do business and a place to live.

"The proposed development will reuse a previously developed site rather than previously undeveloped green field land."

It said other benefits of the site are that it is within walking distance of Poole High Street and is close to local transport links, meaning fewer people would rely on the use of private cars.

As with other Churchill Retirement Living developments, it will come with a communal owners’ lounge, a guest suite, a lodge manager, and a 24 hour emergency call alarm service.

The idea is to provide older people with safety, security and companionship and to encourage health and social services practitioners to visit several residents at once, leading to a more effective use of public resources.