PLANS to demolish a house and a build a block of seven flats have been lodged.

The proposal would see the house in Sandbanks Road, Lilliput, demolished and replaced by a four-storey block of flats.

A planning statement submitted to BCP Council by Darryl Howells Planning Consultancy on behalf of the applicant said the current house is of ‘little architectural merit’.

It said that demolishing the ‘large’ house and replacing it with flats provides an opportunity to ‘improve the visual amenity’ of the site.

The scheme, if approved, would see seven two-bedroom flats built across four floors.

Bournemouth Echo: The proposed block of flats in Sandbanks Road.

Each will have a master bedroom with an ensuite, a second bedroom and separate bathroom and an open plan kitchen, dining room and lounge.

There would be two flats to a floor, except for on the top floor, which would only have one. Each flat will have a balcony or terrace, too.

Previously, an outline planning application to build seven flats on the site was refused by BCP Council in 2021.

The council cited four reasons for refusal.

This included the impact on the street scene and a lack of financial contributions to mitigate the increased residential development upon the Dorset Healthlands and Poole Harbour designated areas.

To address these, the revised application has ‘significantly reduced’ the height and size of the development, meaning there will not be a ‘material increase’ in scale from the current house.

The planning statement said: “This plot lends itself to redevelopment for a larger building to make more efficient use of the land and to provide the type and size of housing which is in high demand in this area.”

It concluded: “The Council’s reasons for refusal given for the previously refused scheme on this site have been adequately addressed and overcome.

“It has also been demonstrated in this statement that the proposed development also complies with all other relevant adopted planning policies, and therefore I would request that planning permission is approved.”

A neighbour consultation on the plans will end on January 26. A date for a decision on the proposal is not yet set.