A BUSY Bournemouth car park "will go" despite concerns over the impact on a nearby school, a developer has said.

A previous bid by the partly council-owned Bournemouth Development Company (BDC) to build a five-storey block of 44 flats on the Durley Road car park in West Cliff was rejected in June.

There was some praise for the firm's proposed new design at a pre-application hearing at the planning board on Monday.

But concerns were again expressed about the impact the loss of the car park would have on residents and parents of the nearby St Michael's School. There were 55 written objections to the original scheme.

John Montgomery, from planning consultancy Tanner and Tilley, said BDC did not have to provide any alternative parking as the site is designated for development in the council's own Town Centre Vision.

"The car park will be lost, it is clearly in your adopted policy. There is no actual policy requirement for the car park to be replaced."

However the board heard from Ian Roberts, of transport consultancy Bellamy Roberts, that BDC was nevertheless proposing to invest £250,000 in road improvements in the area, and awaiting the results of a council survey of users of the car park.

The proposed improvements would include widening pavements and a 20mph zone along Durley Road, part of West Hill Road and Poole Hill. He said parents would be encouraged to use the West Hill car park.

"We are working with officers to free up more space in the West Hill car park by relocating long stay permit holders to the Avenue Road car park, which is under-utilised with many floors empty during the day," he said.

Cllr Gina Mackin said she was still concerned about the loss of the car park and the impact on residents of nearby roads, as walking to the Avenue Road car park would be "a trek".

Kevin Abrahams of HGP Architects said the previous design for the new building "perhaps was too understated, not recognised in what it was doing".

He said the firm had gone "back to the drawing board" and based the new design around features of the West Cliff conservation area.

The new design has a six storey block facing Durley Road South, with columns of rounded bay windows, and a secondary five storey building behind it.

Board chairman David Kelsey said: "This is a great improvement on the design, it is pleasing that you have listened to what we said last time."

A full planning application has yet to be submitted. A public exhibition takes place at the Hallmark Hotel in Durley Chine Road on Monday (NOV 27) from 2pm to 8pm.