BOURNEMOUTH’S skyline is set to change after proposals for what would be the tallest building in the town were given the green light.
Oxford Gardens, in Oxford Road, Lansdowne will officially become the tallest building in Bournemouth when building is complete.
At 29-storeys high, the soon-to-be-built building will overtake nearby The Helm in Holdenhurst Road, which stands at just 19 floors, as the tallest.
The scheme was put before councillors of the planning committee where they were asked whether or not permission should be given to developers Peveril Securities to build it.
Committee member Cllr Michael Tarling spoke favourably of the building – even praising the “brutalist” concrete exterior.
He told the committee: “If you go to any large modern city and the options available is what we have here.
“[Lansdowne] is a city village in the town of Bournemouth so it’s a different way of thinking.
“It’s not tall enough, I think, and we could probably do with a Shard in Lansdowne to make a real signature performance.”
Cllr Tarling added: “Lansdowne has developed over the last 15 years into a city feel and the city streets and city boulevard and the application has lent itself to it.”
Meanwhile, Cllr Jo Clements said: “Whilst I personally am not a big fan of the look of it, it is necessary and what the town needs.
“If it is effective in retaining or attracting young professionals to come to our town then that has to be a good thing.”
Cllr Gillian Martin added: “It’s just what Bournemouth needs, it’s giving it a sort of cityscape, provides lots of housing and will liven the area up quite a bit.”
However, committee chair Marion Le Poidevin said: “As a person who hates heights, I do not like a building that high and I would hate to think I’d got to go anywhere near the top of it.
“But I’m not in the majority for that.”
Oxford Gardens will replace Holland House and consist of 78 studios, 211 one-bed, 148 two-bed and 37 three-bed flats.
In all, 474 build-to-rent apartments would go on the market.
Read more: New Bournemouth building would be tallest in the town
Mathew Mainwaring, agent for Marchmont Development Management, said: “Despite the difficult economic climate recently with significant build cost issues, the applicant has remained committed to the original objective of creating high quality, professionally managed homes for young people starting in the world of work.
“We know from speaking to local employers how difficult it is for those entering the workplace to find the right homes and this scheme seeks to deliver on those objectives.
He added the project will bring “double the new homes built in Bournemouth in 2021/22”.
After nearly two hours, councillors eventually voted to accept the new apartment block.
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