A PROJECT to build a community hub is forecast to go £350k over budget after Bournemouth council workers encountered unexpected structural problems.

This will mean the scheme in Boscombe’s The Crescent will have cost the authority more than £1million.

The revelation about the former Argos site came in a budget monitoring report that went before the council’s cabinet members in October.

Despite the work going nearly 50 per cent above its £715k budget, no verbal mention of it was made during the meeting.

Sue Bickler, the council officer in charge of community regeneration, said: “As an old building and it being unused for a long period of time there were many complex issues to overcome as part of the refurbishment to make it fit for purpose.

“Whilst we were prepared for this and budgeted accordingly, in reality the challenges were more extensive than expected.”

The building opened this month and will provide a base for the Boscombe Regeneration Partnership team, a youth services drop-in centre, neighbourhood police officers and the Boscombe town centre manager.

Cllr Jane Kelly, Boscombe ward councillor and regeneration portfolio holder, told the Daily Echo it was “early days” but that “first impressions” were positive when asked whether it had been worth the cost.

“The fact that this is now a fit-for-purpose facility in the heart of Boscombe is the most important thing,” Cllr Kelly added.

The paper declaring the overspend said: “The projected costs for the completion of the multi-use hub in Boscombe have increased as a result of additional enabling works to resolve structural issues and the removal of asbestos.

“The cost of the provision of mechanical and electrical services will also be higher than initially estimated.

“It is expected that the projected overspend of £350k can be met by using resources budgeted on other capital projects in Environment & Regeneration where projects have completed under budget.”

The Victorian building was spared demolition to make way for a block of flats in 2012 after conservation officers said its loss would be unacceptable due to its “architectural merit”.

This was only a few months after the closure of the ground floor Argos store, which had been there for 38 years.

The revelation of this overspend came at the same time the council forecast it would be £490k over budget for its work to revamp Pier Approach.