A PLANNING consultant has warned occupation of the coal yard site in Boscombe could delay the building of affordable houses on the land.

The Occupy Homeless Sanctuary moved onto the ground in Ashley Road last week having previously been on privately-owned land at Exeter Road opposite the BIC.

The second site, which campaigners are referring to as the "phoenix", is also privately-owned and earmarked for a housing development pending approval from Bournemouth Borough Council.

A proposed development for the site seeks to build up to 60 residential dwellings in a mix of flats and houses, with the addition of a community or retail use on the ground floor at the corner of Ashley Road and North Road.

Ken Parke, of Ken Parke Planning Consultants who are the agent for applicants Brightmark Limited, said: "The proposal includes genuine affordable housing in the form of bricks and mortar to provide houses for people instead of people having to sleep outside on the ground in the cold.

"Anyone occupying the site is likely to stall the process of building on the land once planning permission is approved."

Mr Parke said he was expecting a decision on the scheme in the near future and added the best use of the site was residential rather than the council's long-standing planning policy for employment space.

The outline application reserves the details of appearance, landscaping, layout and scale for future determination.

Initial submission of the application was made in February 2017, with the deadline for public comments closing in March.

However, a decision has still not been made by Bournemouth Borough Council's planning department.

A statement submitted by Ken Park Planning Consultants says the development, which would deliver predominantly family homes, will "make a significant contribution to the overall supply of housing land within the borough without requiring the release of additional green field or indeed green belt land for development".

The statement adds: "The proposals comply with policy and represent an excellent opportunity for the council to meet some of its housing needs within the urban area while also securing the redevelopment of a brownfield site which has stood empty for several years and which has become a focus for anti-social and criminal behaviour."

When asked why the plan had been under consideration for more than 10 months, Simon Gould, Bournemouth Borough Council development management team leader, said: “The application is still under consideration and negotiations have been taking place with the applicant on various matters, including issues relating to highways.

"The local planning authority are hopeful the negotiations are now drawing to a conclusion and would anticipate a decision being made in the next two months.”