American Golf set to make way for eight-storey student block

The proposal would see the building containing American Golf and neighbouring pest control company Nemesis on Holdenhurst Road demolished to make room for the development.

Unused scrub land, located at the rear of these premises and on the corner of Station Roundabout, would also be built on.

Once completed, the site would consist of a mixture of studios and one-bed flats with space for a 140-space cycle store and six car parking spaces.

No letters of objection to the scheme, located in close proximity to the university’s Lansdowne campus and Bournemouth Travel Interchange, have been received.

And chairman of the Bournemouth Civic Society, Ken Mantock, said he has “felt for a long time that this prominent unused piece of land should be developed in a constructive manner”.

“Consequently we are pleased to observe that it will now be developed as part of a long-term scheme to create a very extensive campus for Bournemouth University,” he said.

Mr Mantock also praised the design’s consideration for the neighbouring and much smaller East Cliff United Reformed Church, with the new building set to contain side wings that decrease in height down to four storeys.

In his report recommending the application for approval, planning officer Simon Gould said: “The proposed development makes an efficient use of an existing under-utilised brownfield site in a highly sustainable location, close to local amenities and excellent public transport connections.

“The proposed building is considered to be of an appropriate scale and design so as to provide the required street enclosure to St Swithuns Road South, whilst at the same time achieving acceptable relationships with the adjoining listed church and residential properties in St Swithuns Road.”

The application will be heard in full by Bournemouth council’s planning board, chaired by Cllr David Kelsey, at 2.30pm in the town hall’s HMS Phoebe Room on Monday. The public are welcome to attend.