PLANS for five new houses and a block of five flats at Alum Chine are too big for the area, according to Bournemouth Civic society.

The homes would be on a triangular site at the junction of Alumhurst Road and Sandbourne Road.

John Soane, built environment consultant to the Civic Society, has urged councillors to refuse the application.

He said the homes – to be built on the site of several 20th century family houses – would be similar in style to adjacent properties from the late 19th century.

He wrote: “The society has no strong objections to the chosen style of the development, but we believe very seriously that the mass and scale of the proposed structures is simply too large for the lower density layout of this part of the Alum Chine Estate.

“The building lines do appear to be too near the site boundaries of each property with a resulting lack of privacy; indeed, such a layout might be more appropriate in a metropolitan context.”

He added: “Consequently, the society feels that since this planning proposal has not fulfilled the townscape conditions of the Bournemouth Local Plan, it should be refused.”