AN apparently unpopular proposal to build three new homes in a Bournemouth road has been recommended for approval.

Bournemouth council planning officers say the application by Merley Design & Construction Ltd to build an additional house fronting the road at 15-19 Kingswell Road, with two new bungalows in the existing gardens, will not be "materially harmful" to the area.

The scheme has 80 objections registered on the council's planning website, although the borough says they relate to only 28 individual addresses.

One Kingswell Road resident, Martyn French, said: "Although there seems to be room for a narrow house (proposed house number 17) which will be incongruous to the surrounding buildings, I still object strongly to the inclusion of the additional two bungalows, as I do not feel this would fit the current street scene and such back-land development would cause considerable over-development of this residential area.

"It would undoubtedly cause additional, unnecessary and avoidable social tensions by over-development."

A previous "cramped" proposal for the site was refused planning permission last year.

The scheme will be discussed at a planning board meeting today at 2.30pm.