Bournemouth site with 'worst design' earmarked for redevelopment

That is the view of a prominent conservation group on the buildings that currently occupy a town centre site which has been earmarked for a huge redevelopment project.

Bournemouth Civic Society has provided its thoughts on Fortitudo's £200million plans as well as the existing buildings on the site between Fir Vale Road and Glen Fern Road.

The developer wants to demolish all of the buildings on the site and build a series of buildings ranging in height up to 25 storeys.

The scheme includes significant leisure space, hundreds of flats, a hotel and a replacement multi-storey car park.

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The civic society has submitted a response to Fortitudo's planning application, which is currently being considered by BCP Council's planning department.

The existing multi-storey car park

"This is a massive redevelopment that would be constructed on the site of a very comprehensive, earlier transformation of an extensive site that had been occupied in the late nineteenth century by the distinctive Arts and Crafts Grand Hotel and its fine, extensive gardens," Bournemouth Civic Society said.

"The new townscape consisted principally of two massive structures: a block of offices and leisure facilities facing Fir Vale Road, and a multi-storey car park on Glen Fern Road where a small retail terrace was also built.

"The society has long felt strongly that what arose on this site during the 1970s was probably the worst designed modern complex that was ever constructed in central Bournemouth.

"It deserves to be replaced as soon as possible."

Commenting on Fortitudo's plans, the civic society said the height of the 25-storey apartment tower was "excessive" and "a problem".

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Fortitudo's plans for the site

They added: "For we think that since the highest number of permitted floors in Bournemouth hitherto is 15, this new proposal, if built, would dominate the whole of central Bournemouth.

"Even if the visual context of this building was somewhat mitigated by the considerable number of more modern adjacent buildings towards Bath Hill to the south, there still remains a very considerable area of contrasting, late nineteenth century, townscape stretching north and centred on Old Christchurch Road and protected by conservation area status."

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The society suggested a series of alterations to the plans, including removing some of the balconies and reducing the tallest block to 19 or 20 storeys.

BCP Council planners are currently considering Fortitudo's application

They concluded that "after much deliberation", the application did not comply with the Bournemouth Local Plan townscape policies and should be deferred for further discussion.