THE owners of a seaside hotel have been given permission to extend their premises and provide a roof terrace for guests.
Bournemouth Sands Hotel at West Cliff Gardens applied for consent to erect a single-storey flat-roofed extension to enlarge the dining area and accommodate a terraced area.
Tony Ramsden from Planning Solutions told the council’s planning board how the owners had increased trade and occupancy rates following ‘significant investment’.
He added: “The restaurant is too small and guests have requested outside space, which will have no impact on local residents.”
Hotel owner Sam Wilson stressed that the Sands hotel was a family business catering for an older clientele, adding: “We don’t have stag or hen dos. Our guests have nowhere to sit outside; it might be a small application for you but it is vital for our business.”
Recommending that the application should be refused, planning officer Steve Davies said: “We feel it would be detrimental to the character of the conservation area.”
But ward councillor Rae Stollard, pictured, who lives near the site, said: “I feel it can only enhance the area.
“It will be a much-needed amenity for what is predominantly a coach hotel.
“We must ensure Bournemouth’s continued prosperity as a resort.”
Cllr Mike Greene moved that the application be granted and Cllr Phil Stanley-Watts seconded the move, adding: “A refusal does not make economic sense; businesses such as these need investment in order to survive.”
Cllr Malcolm Davies said: “We have got to remember the financial times we are living in.
“Our hoteliers need as much support as we can give them,” while Cllr Roger West said: “The building itself is absolutely awful from the design point of view; in consequence almost anything else would be an improvement.”
The scheme won the planning board’s unanimous support.
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