CAMPAIGNERS who lost their battle to save a community building in Boscombe from demolition have been told they cannot rescue artefacts from inside.

Part of the derelict Boscombe Centre for Community Arts (BCCA) building in Haviland Road is being knocked down to make way for housing and a new creative hub.

At Tuesday’s council meeting in Bournemouth, those who fought to save the building asked whether they could bid for art, bricks and other fittings that they said were more than 100 years old and had heritage value.

And Linda Ni’Man, of the Friends of BCCA, also asked councillors: “It has become even more obvious in recent weeks that a hub will be inadequate – will the council build a new one in Boscombe?”

Speaking during a later deputation on the state of the arts in Bournemouth, she added: “To encourage the creative industries to grow, we must increase facilities, not reduce them as the council is currently doing in Boscombe.

“We must invest in a permanent arts centre. Don’t kill the creative goose that lays the golden egg.”

But Cllr John Beesley, pictured left, leader of the council, said the contractor appointed to carry out the work was responsible for disposal of the fixtures and fittings. He added that any salvageable materials had been earmarked for use elsewhere.

Harry Seccombe, one of the founders of the Boscombe Forum, also addressed the meeting, asking why demolition had been given the go-ahead before a report from the Bournemouth 2026 Trust on provision in the area had been completed.

Cllr Beesley said: “We all recognise that arts facilities are important to residents and we note that Boscombe already has an extensive range of facilities, all of which have spare capacity.”