TABLING a planning application was not a requirement for awarding a lagoon water park project £70,000 in taxpayer’s money, BCP Council’s deputy leader has insisted.

Plans for the water park at Hurn have been met with scrutiny and opposition from opposition councillors.

Questions have been raised over BCP Council’s process which led to awarding Adventure is Out There 365’s project money through the ‘bounce back’ coronavirus grants.

A planning application is yet to be submitted, with former council leader Vikki Slade asking about this subject and the requirements of the award at last week’s full council meeting.

The Liberal Democrat councillor said she had a meeting with a senior council officer and in response to follow up questions she was told back in September last year that the lagoon’s grant application was to develop and submit a planning application with a deadline of March 31, 2022.

“I have checked the BCP Council planning portal and I cannot locate a planning application for this site,” said Cllr Slade.

Bournemouth Echo: Cllr Vikki SladeCllr Vikki Slade (Image: BCP Council)

“Given that the application required under the bounce back grant has not been submitted, can the portfolio holder please confirm that the grant has been returned to the council.”

Councillor Philip Broadhead, BCP Council deputy leader and portfolio holder for development, growth and regeneration, said: “The grant award letter signed by the lagoon states that the proposals should be delivered in line with their proposal.

“In this instance the application form and the costed project plan identified their proposal as planning phase one – architecture, landscaping, etc.

“The additional restrictions grant awarded was a contribution towards the overall cost to the applicant of submitting a planning application. The project plan also demonstrated the significant match funding that would be unlocked by the award.

“This will ultimately lead to a planning application but the requirement to submit a planning application was not part of the requirement of funding.

“Their final report including evidence of invoices and spend demonstrates that all of the criteria for their award have been met and their agreed objectives as outlined above are complete.”

In a follow up question, Cllr Slade asked if the officer would apologise for giving her incorrect information.

Councillor Broadhead said he believed the “miscommunication” came from Cllr Slade “misunderstanding what is meant by submitted planning stage”.

Bournemouth Echo: Cllr Philip BroadheadCllr Philip Broadhead (Image: BCP Council)

He added: “The applicant in this situation had to bring it forward to that stage, however, I can update Cllr Slade as well, she will be delighted to hear this, they continue to provide progress reports and are already in discussions with the planning department about bringing forward a planning application as well.”

Councillor Broadhead said he would be happy to come back to full council with an update on all of the projects that had received support through the bounce back grants.