PLANS to transform a derelict Bournemouth building into a luxury hotel and apartment buildings could be given the go-ahead by planners this month.

The Belvedere Hotel, off Bath Road, has been derelict for more than two years and was being used by rough sleepers until June last year when it caught fire.

Since then developers have submitted plans to demolish the hotel and build an 11-storey, 131-room hotel and a 66-unit apartment block, complete with a rooftop bar, central courtyard and tree-lined esplanade at St Peter’s Roundabout.

Bournemouth council’s planning board are set to discuss the proposals at a meeting on Monday, January 23 - which have been recommended for approval by officers.

It follows months of discussions between Fresh Lime Developments and 5plus Architects with the council.

The plans also include 82 ground floor and basement parking spaces, which will be used primarily by residents of the flats, as well as spa and pool facilities in the hotel.

Currently there is still no indication of who the hotelier might be on the site.

Despite the support for the scheme from officers there have been a number of concerns raised by residents about the proposal.

These include a lack of parking for hotel - the scheme proposes just 11 car parking spaces for exclusive use by the hotel guests.

There are also concerns about the excessive scale, height and poor design of the development and loss of light.

Concerns about noise from the sky bar and restaurant have also been raised - however officers have said that if approved the sky bar would only be allowed to open between 8am and 11.30pm.

Michael Bibring, co-founder of Fresh Lime Developments, said it was “an opportunity to create a fabulous hotel for Bournemouth”, describing it as “a very exciting project” and promising a hotel of four plus stars.

“We want something that will change the hospitality scene in the town,” he said.

“The kind of hotel we’re looking at - it’s a very high quality hotel, with a great restaurant and a roof top bar which I think will be sensational because of the views out to sea.

“This will be a landmark with great architecture. People will arrive into Bournemouth and think ‘wow’.”

It is hoped the hotel will create around 160 to 70 jobs in the town. The planning meeting takes place at 2.30pm.