A BUSINESSMAN is lodging plans for a £20 million transformation of three landmark Bournemouth town centre sites.

Philip Oram is hoping to help the town grow out of the recession by building two hotels and a set of restaurants and apartments.

The 54-year-old outlined his biggest scheme yet after three decades of development in the town.

He wants to:

• Knock down Punshon Church, opposite the BIC, and spend £9m building a 110-bed four star hotel called Aurora, with nine flats, and three restaurant/retail units.

A group of businessmen looking to join forces with Gordon Ramsay are among those hoping they may be able to secure a lease for the hotel.

• Replace the Sound Circus nightclub near the train station with a budget, seven-floor 138-bed hotel called Interchange at a cost of £3.5m.

• Convert Crank nightclub at a cost of £1.2m into a glass-fronted, warehouse style building called Westover Lane, housing 14 two-bed flats, five shops, a restaurant and a wine bar.

The total cost of the work, including purchase prices, will be around £20m and plans are being submitted this week.

Mr Oram’s previous properties include the Tralee Hotel and he currently owns the Hermitage Hotel.

He said: “I’m confident by the time these schemes have hopefully achieved planning consent and are heading to build, the market will have fully recovered.”

The Punshon development, subject to planning permission, is to start work in January 2011 and open in 2013.

The 52-year-old Methodist church was closed in 2007 because it was too costly to maintain.

Mr Oram said: “Bournemouth is thriving in this location even during the recession.

“We have still managed to do the better figures here at the Hermitage than the year before.

“This development is on a prime site opposite the BIC.”

He said the planned student accommodation block for the former B&Q site near the train station would work well with the Interchange hotel to reinvigorate the area.

He added: “It would suit many visitors coming in by train to be able to turn left and use it.

“I can see it being a great landmark building.”

Mr Oram said the retail units planned for Crank, which used to be owned by Richard Carr, would deliberately be pitched at the affordable end of the market to attract businesses put off by higher prices on nearby Westover Road.

Leader of Bournemouth council Stephen MacLoughlin said: “These applications demonstrate Bournemouth is a good place to do business, despite the affects of the recession.’”

Nigel Hedges, president of Bournemouth Chamber of Trade, said: “To have three developments at once is fantastic.”