RESIDENTS looked on with mixed opinions as the demolition of a Bournemouth seafront restaurant continued.
Engineers worked on clearing the former Bistro on the Beach site in Southbourne on Wednesday, ahead of the proposed construction of a new £7million replacement building.
Once demolition is complete, a temporary venue will start selling food and drink from the site in June, with toilets and outdoor seating. This offering is set to run until October before returning next year from late May until October.
In the meantime, BCP Council hope to secure planning permission for its long-term proposal for a new restaurant, kiosk and public facilities as well as 17 “premium” overnight lodges at the site.
On Wednesday morning, as demolition work continued, residents were mixed in their opinions on the future of the site. One man, who did not wish to be named, told the Echo: “It’s horrendous, Bournemouth is just building and building and there seems to be nothing nice or original anymore.
“Bournemouth is dying, I’ve been here for 30 years and I’m hating it. I love Southbourne, but I hate the way it’s going.
Demolition of Bistro on the Beach in #Southbourne has begun @Bournemouthecho pic.twitter.com/0LLmClg9oi
— Jordan (@JelkinsJourno) February 16, 2022
“Does it fit? Does it heck, put it in Bournemouth or Poole, but not Southbourne. We’re all residents and we don’t want this clinical, London-esque kind of thing. They should have just left the site as it was but done it up.
“I know people will say the old building wasn’t viable, but why do you have to knock something down that wasn’t broken? It really wasn’t broken, a bit tired yes, but not broken. It makes me sad seeing this happen.”
Conversely, beach goer Alison Nicholls said: “Everything is modern in its time, like Rembrandt was. If you don’t have modern things built, then people in the future have no history to look back on.
“I think it’s a good idea, I can go for it. It’s near the beach so families and elderly people who can’t walk very far would use and enjoy it. Also, because it’s modern, young people will like it too. My kids are around 26 and 27, they would choose to come somewhere like this instead of older places.
“You have to move on, life has to move on.”
The consultation period on the application has closed and plans are currently being considered by officers.
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