PLANS for seven houses to be erected in the Westbourne area of Bournemouth have been rejected by the council.

The proposed development, located on the plots of 4 Sandbourne Road and 130 Alumhurst Road, Alum Chine, would have seen seven houses built on an area of land where only two homes currently exist.

The plans were submitted by James Whitney of DOT Architecture and contained market housing varying between three and four bedrooms in size.

In the planning decision notice, the council said the proposed development would be “excessive in form and out of character” with the location, “resulting in the cramped overdevelopment of the site".

The decision notice also states that the proposed development would result in a loss of privacy for neighbouring properties and would provide a poor standard of living for future occupiers, due to the houses overlooking and overbearing each other.

Residents of Sandbourne Road and Alumhurst Road reacted to the plans with anger, with many citing pressure of parking, high density development and difference in neighbourhood character as their reasons for disapproval.

David and Jean Bird, residents of Sandbourne Road, said: “This development, increasing the density by 3.5 times, is an excessively intensive development for this site.

"It is out of character with this special 1929 estate of very well preserved, detached family houses having decent room sizes, set back in mature gardens, with adequate garaging and parking areas.”

Peter Richinson, of Alumhurst Road, said: “The site design is completely out of keeping with the prevailing aesthetic of this part of Alum Chine.

"Motivated by maximising profits from the site the high density design will, result in a small housing estate appearance at odds with the established pattern of larger family homes on distinct and reasonably sized plots.”

C Taylor, of Sandbourne Road, said: “The development would accentuate the already problematic parking in Alum Chine.

"Sandbourne Road is already hugely problematic in terms of parking as, apart from residents and their visitors, it is a prime spot for people wishing to visit the Blue Flag beach close by.”