THE part council-owned company set up to redevelop many of the car parks in Bournemouth town centre has set its sights on Poole for the first time.

Bournemouth Development Company (BDC) has included the Chapel Lane car park in its annual business plan, its first scheme outside of Bournemouth.

The organisation, a partnership between BCP Council and Morgan Sindall, has also confirmed it will be pushing ahead with its Durley Road development, despite strong criticism from councillors.

Its plan will be considered by the council’s cabinet this morning and provides an update on its priorities.

The company was set up by Bournemouth council to help deliver its plans to redevelop much of the town centre through mainly building on car parks.

But for the first time it has now been asked to look at a development in a neighbouring town with plans for a “residential-led” scheme in Poole.

“BDC has a remit to operate within the [area action plan] boundary…and any additional sites as agreed between the parties from time to time (which may fall outside the Bournemouth town centre area),” it says.

“At the strategy review, the council invited BDC to draw up proposals for the Chapel Lane surface car park site.

“The site will enable BCP Council to start delivery of its ambitious £1.5 billion town centre regeneration initiative.”

The plan was discussed by the council’s scrutiny board last week when councillors also criticised its inclusion of the controversial Durley Road development in Bournemouth.

A planning application for the scheme was unanimously refused by Bournemouth council’s planning committee in 2018.

But this was then appealed by BDC and the decision was subsequently overturned at the beginning of this year.

Councillors have now called for it to abandon the scheme.

“We should be mindful of the wishes of the residents and take those views into consideration,” councillor Stephen Bartlett, who was a member of Bournemouth council’s planning committee, said.

“BDC have been disingenuous in the extreme by putting it firmly in this business plan.

“The bulldozers are being driven through the wishes of the residents and they are being driven by officers of the council who are paid by the residents.”

The business plan will be considered when the council's cabinet holds its meeting this morning.