A £50 million scheme to build a hotel, 120 flats and office block in an “underutilised backwater” of Bournemouth town centre looks set to win approval.

The scheme to surround the existing Richmond Gardens multi-storey car park with a copper-clad hotel and art deco-style apartments will be considered by the planning board at a special meeting on Wednesday, December 2.

But officers are recommending the scheme is granted, if it can be shown that the development will not create traffic problems.

The report states: “Generally... the scheme [is] be well founded, in accord with policy and is an exciting piece of architecture providing a new hotel, housing in the town centre including some affordable housing and will introduce some life into what is somewhat an under-utilised backwater in the town centre.”

The application has been submitted by developer, Grosvenor, owner of the Dolphin Centre in Poole, and its agent, Planning Solutions.

It would see five new blocks built – a 173-bedroom hotel, a six-storey office block, two residential blocks totalling 103 flats and a five-storey block of 17 affordable flats.

An additional car parking deck would be built on top of the existing car park to create 92 new spaces and the developer would pay for cosmetic improvements to the car park and landscaping.

Planning officers acknowledge that while some occupiers will enjoy panoramic views over the town centre towards the coast, others will have a poor outlook and will suffer from being so close to the multi-storey car park.

“In mixed schemes such as this, there will inevitably be some units that have a poorer environment,” the report states.

“Some town centre residents will accept that the benefits of living in the town centre and the access to good quality facilities can compensate for a poorer environment.”