A FORMER hotel being used as a house in multiple occupation has again seen this use declared illegal.

In February last year the owners of Earlham Lodge, at 91 Alumhurst Road, Bournemouth, appealed against an enforcement notice from the council requiring that the use of the site as an HMO cease.

The appeal was dismissed, and in July plans to convert the building into flats and holidays flats were approved by the council.

However, a subsequent bid to again change the use of the building to HMO has been rejected by planning officers using delegated powers.

In their report, officers state: "The effect of HMOs generally on the attractiveness of the area as a tourist destination is of serious concern to the council because of its economic impact.

"It has adopted policies to reinforce and improve the tourist function of the area and a change of use to a HMO would undermine that objective."

The borough received five letters of objection from nearby residents, chiefly expressing their concerns about potential noise, the loss of the tourist facility and the setting of a precedent for HMOs in the area.

Council officers said the council had originally declined the change of use as the applicant, Mrs L Turner, had failed to provide enough evidence that continued tourism use of the site was unviable.

"Contrary to the view expressed by the applicant, Alum Chine and in particular Alumhurst Road running down to the beach and adjacent roads continue to play a significant role within the resort's tourism accommodation offer," the report states.

Nevertheless, officers say the council has "intimated" to the applicant that the conversion of the hotel into self-contained flats would be "acceptable" and represented "a reasonable fall back position for the applicant".

According to council figures, the most recent from 2015, 22 per cent of visitors to Alum Chine beach during that summer were staying overnight in Bournemouth, 50 per cent in hotels and 29 per cent in self-catering accommodation.

The council estimates that visitor numbers across the year to Alum Chine beach are "somewhere in the region of 550,000 a year".