THE rejection of the Durley Road car park scheme due to loss of spaces could be an issue for other Bournemouth Development Company (BDC) plans in the works.

The firm has more than £210 million worth of development proposed, with sites including the Winter Gardens, Bath Road, Cotlands, Central, Richmond Hill, Town Hall Annex, Glen Fern and West Hill car parks.

The council says Durley Road was the only proposed BDC scheme where like-for-like replacement parking was not included. For instance the completed development on the former Berry Court car park replaced all lost public spaces in a new multi-storey car park on site.

Critics have pointed out that BDC schemes seldom provide many spaces for the new flats constructed.

Berry Court has 113 flats, of which 77 are at least two-bed, but only provides 62 spaces for residents.

While BDC can argue that it is replacing all public spaces, it is also creating more demand for parking in the town centre, even if the level of residential parking provided meets council regulations.