Plan for flats block in Castle Lane East refused by council

Members of BCP Council’s planning committee went against their own officer’s recommendation to approve Edgewater Acquisitions’ hopes to build 10 flats at 908 Castle Lane East in Bournemouth.

The plans were submitted in June 2021 but underwent a series of changes in the intervening time as developers attempted to address issues raised by more than 50 residents who submitted objections.

Resistance to the proposals also came from official bodies such as Bournemouth Civic Society and the Holdenhurst Avenue Residents Association, as well as from individuals including ward councillor Lawrence Williams and three members of staff from the nearby St Peter’s Primary School.

Proposed site in Castle Lane East, Bournemouth. Image: Pure Town Planning

Prior to the committee meeting on February 16, planning officer Franc Genley said in his reasons for recommending approval: “The proposal would deliver 10 flats in a sustainable location, compliant with policies of the local plan.

“[They] would deliver benefits comprising provision of new housing, as well as the economic, social and environmental objectives of sustainable development.”

Committee chair Cllr Dave Kelsey agreed, telling members the application was “policy compliant in every single way”.

However, issues were raised by members regarding overdevelopment of the site and loss of an existing family home.

Holdenhurst Avenue resident Peter Britton, who has lived at his home for 20 years, said: “Estate agents call them forever homes, people come here to settle down and raise a family.

CGI for proposed flat development in Castle Lane East, Bournemouth. (Image: ARC Architecture)

“These flats are not forever homes, people who buy or rent these flats will not be putting down roots or settling here.

“It will have a detrimental effect on the established community. There is a lot of opposition to this development, including in St Peters School and the Bournemouth Civic Society – it’s not just a bunch of us NIMBYs.”

Cllr Toby Johnson, however, disagreed with suggestions flat tenants wouldn’t be able contribute to the community. He said: “I’m not a fan of the assumption that people who live in flats have different values to those who live in houses. Gone are the days when you live in a flat when you’re younger then graduate to a house once you reach a certain age.”

Members ultimately backed a motion to refuse the plans by eight votes to four, citing its visual prominence to the street scene as being “out of character with the established local area”.