THE developers of the Bournemouth Centre for Community Arts have released artist’s images of their plans for the site.

Bournemouth 2026 said the Haviland Road housing scheme will have an attached arts and culture hub, a community orchard, and a residents’ allotment.

They are promoting the plans after criticism by arts groups campaigning to save the BCCA. The Occupy Boscombe group also recently moved into the empty building.

Bournemouth 2026 was gifted the site by Bournemouth Council and plans to develop 11 family homes at an affordable price.

The council has made improving the housing stock the cornerstone of its regeneration plans for Boscombe.

Bob Boulton, chairman of Bournemouth 2026, said: “This proposal will ensure a long-term future for the former school building fronting onto Gladstone Road and every care is being taken to ensure its conversion is sympathetic to its late Victorian architecture. “It’s vital that we enable people to own their own homes and provide community spaces to encourage them to lay long-term roots here.”

The scheme is called ‘Gladstone Mews’ and will eventually be handed over to a newly formed Community Land Trust.

The non-listed parts of the building will be demolished and replaced by a three-bed house, nine two-bed houses and a two-bed bungalow.

Bournemouth 2026 said residents will own the houses but the Community Land Trust will own the land.

A spokesman said: “This ensures the homes remain affordable when first purchased and when they’re subsequently sold on.”

The Friends of the BCCA is campaigning to re-open the building as a community centre.

They say Haviland Road is already very built up and good quality housing is more urgently needed around Churchill Gardens, which is the most deprived area in the South West.

The building closed in August 2007 after Bournemouth council decided it was too expensive to repair.