BCP Future Places outline plans looming for ex-council offices

BCP Future Places, an arm’s length council owned company, is working on 19 projects relating to locations and themes which have been identified by the local authority.

The Civic Offices in Bridge Street, Christchurch, and Civic Centre off the A35 in Poole are no longer used by BCP Council staff.

Future Places is set to present outline business cases for the two buildings to cabinet on September 26 before the proposals go to full council.

Poole Civic Centre (Image: Newsquest)

The following month at a meeting on October 26, cabinet members are due to see a similar presentation in relation to the future development of the public realm at Poole Quay and a residentially led redevelopment of Chapel Lane, Constitution Hill and Poole Civic Centre car parks.

Any proposals for Chapel Lane will see the retention of car parking guaranteed.

With each project, if the outline business cases are approved, Future Places will be given a green light to press ahead to work towards a full business case, which would come back to council next year.

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• BCP Future Places: Council chiefs quizzed on conflicts of interest
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Gail Mayhew, BCP Future Places managing director, said: “We are working up proposals for key sites including Christchurch Civic Offices, Poole Civic Centre and the Poole Civic campus, the former college on Constitution Hill and Chapel Lane car park in Poole.

“These will be presented to cabinet and full council this autumn as part of an outline business case.

"This will set out our recommendations on future opportunities for each site taking into account environmental sensitivities as well early-stage viability testing with the market.

“We are committed to taking the best of a place and making it better and to do that we will make sure residents, local businesses and key stakeholders are at the centre of any plans we take forward.

Civic Offices in Christchurch (Image: Newsquest)

“Following the outline business case, we will undertake full scale engagement and consultation with local communities so that we give people the opportunity to influence and shape any future development before we present a full business case to the council in autumn 2023.”