AFC Bournemouth bosses have unveiled ambitious long-term plans for a new 3,400-seat South Stand, together with a hotel and spa complex.

The proposals also include a park-and-ride scheme for people travelling to the town centre, new training pitches, office suites and executive boxes.

Bournemouth Echo: Cherries stadium plans

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Cherries chairman Eddie Mitchell believes the scheme would help regenerate King’s Park and the Boscombe area, particularly if plans for an ice rink in the park also come to fruition.

And the eventual plan is that the new South Stand would be the beginning of a brand-new stadium for AFC Bournemouth, who are currently flying high in League One.

Mr Mitchell said the new stand would be considerably bigger than the existing North Stand. The aim is to then mirror it at the North End and eventually re-develop the two sides of Dean Court.

When asked how feasible the plans were, considering AFC Bournemouth’s well-documented financial problems, he insisted: “They’re very feasible.

“One of the problems we’ve got is we are in the middle of quite a downturn in the economy. To find a user for the hotel might take some time but if we can get somebody to anchor it around, then it’s very feasible.

“We obviously need a stand at that end. I think the hotel would complement the park and the club itself.

“There’s a lot that the park can offer, I just think it needs some energy put into it. That’s what we’re working on.”

On the subject of who would fund the scheme, he said: “If we can get an end user for the hotel, that would contribute quite a considerable amount towards it.

“And if we’re successful on the pitch there’s money that would come into the club that’d obviously go towards it. We’ve got to plan ahead. It’s a five to 10-year plan but if you don’t plan then it doesn’t get done.

“We would like to regenerate that area. It needs it. It’s a lovely park but it’s lacked maintenance in the past and it’s got heavy lorries going in and out of it every day.”

The club has already asked Bournemouth council to consider whether its future planning application will need to be accompanied by an environmental impact assessment.

The opinion of planning officers is that it will not, as it is unlikely the proposal would have any significant or unusual environmental effects.

Factfile

The idea of building a new stand and associated hotel and leisure complex at Dean Court is nothing new and was last considered by former chief executive Laurence Jones in 2006. Back then, the club held talks with Bournemouth council and, just like now, got to the point of asking whether an environmental impact assessment would be required.

It was believed then that entrepreneur Richard Kingham, managing director of Parkcrest Construction, would be the one to submit a planning application but no formal plans were ever submitted to the council.