PROPOSALS to redevelop a council car park with almost 400 student accommodation units and a 400-space multi-storey car park are set to be given the green light.

The Bournemouth Development Company, which is leading a massive regeneration of the town centre, is seeking permission to build a six-storey car park and three student accommodation buildings on the Madeira Road West car park site.

And the proposals are being recommended for approval, with senior planning officer Charles Raven stating: “This is a significant development on an underutilised site within Bournemouth Town Centre.

“The proposal would bring additional vibrancy and life, whilst providing an economic boost to local traders, without compromising the availability of public car parking.”

The student accommodation will be used by the Arts University College at Bournemouth (AUCB), who currently have just 100 bed spaces on offer in halls of residence.

It’s hoped that providing 378 student bedrooms will help reduce the problems caused by students moving into family homes in Winton and surrounding areas.

The car park will be built at the eastern end of the site and will be owned and operated by Bournemouth council. It will offset parking lost when the construction of homes and cafe space gets underway at nearby Leyton Mount.

The site is the second to be brought forward by the Bournemouth Development Company, which is a partnership between Bournemouth council and Morgan Sindall Investments Ltd.

The council invests its assets, mainly car parks, into the scheme, while Morgan Sindall provides the funds.

The council will use a share of the profits from this development to reinvest into the town, with Westover Road among the areas prioritised for improvement.

The proposals will go before the council’s planning board on Monday, August 20.