Goodbye office block, hello skyscraper: planned 13-storey block of flats as tall as the Barclays building

The St John's House office block in Serpentine Road has been vacant for more than two years after Borough of Poole's transportation services moved back into the Civic Centre.

ESRG Developments has submitted proposals to demolish the offices and replace them with a multi-million pound development rising from 10 to 13 storeys containing 209 apartments.

The Veneti Apartments would offer a range of accommodation from studio flats to three-bed apartments with a second floor residents fitness suite, two decks of parking providing 81 car parking spaces, bicycle storage and residents roof garden.

Its height would be just less than the adjacent Barclays building on the George Roundabout, say the developers. Included are 64 studio apartments, 98 one-bed apartments, 43 two-bed and four three-bed.

Sited close to the train station, bus station and town centre, each apartment would come with its own folding bicycle and dedicated storage space, to encourage sustainable travel. The building would also have its own concierge.

David Evans, chief executive officer of ESRG Group said they were delighted with the project.

"This is an exciting development for Poole town centre and for the local population," he said. "It will provide great living spaces and will be a fantastic opportunity for people to reside close to Poole town and its extensive amenities."

This comes just after Borough of Poole adopted its blueprint for town centre regeneration over the next 25-30 years, the Poole Central Area Supplementary Planning Document. In this it says buildings taller than six storeys could be acceptable in Town Centre North, "subject to justification and relationship to local context".

Poole People leader Cllr Mark Howell, who represents the town centre said: "Tall buildings in that part of the town centre are basically acceptable but only if they positively contribute in terms of looks and community space."