A FORMER Bournemouth businessman has put in an application to build a six storey block of flats by the Central Gardens.

Steve Castle, who was financial director for LV=, wants to demolish his historic £700,000 house at 2b Bradburne Road, as well as neighbouring 2a, to make way for the block, which would contain 16 flats.

The proposal, already controversial with neighbours, comes only three months after Mr Castle complained to the Echo about drug users squatting in the property, beside a children's play area.

He said his parents had lived in the house for 30 years, and that squatters had broken into a shed containing his father's possessions and smashed them.

He said he had secured the property, but argued police were not doing enough to help him deter the squatters.

A design statement for the flats plan, submitted by Woldingham Developments Limited, a Surrey firm which lists Mr Castle as its director, says: "The proposal will significantly improve the built form on site when compared to the existing buildings which contribute very little to the surrounding area when viewed from either Bradburne Road or Central Gardens.

"This is also the case given the site’s former history of vandalism and abuse by squatters which has been well documented in the local press in the last 12 months."

The statement points out the presence of other multi-storey buildings near the gardens, including the six storey Avenue car park.

It states: "In the wider locality, larger scale flatted buildings range from three, four and five storeys. This higher level scale of development is established in the immediate locality, as the sloping gradient is considered capable of accommodating such built form without appearing over dominant or oppressive from the surrounding area."

The plans are for 14 two-bedroom flats and two three-bedroom flats.

Last year saw two 'pre-application' inquiries submitted to the council for the site, the first of which, in July, was for a six storey block of 42 one-bedroom flats. Officers advised that this would likely be unacceptable.

The demolition of the existing houses could prove controversial.

In its submission, Historic England says they "appear to be of some architectural and historic interest".

The body says: "We have examined the proposals and consider that they are of an excessive scale and massing which will dominate views from certain parts of the

registered landscape.

"The design makes little regard to local distinctiveness or the picturesque aesthetic of the pleasure gardens and their immediate environs."

Neither of the buildings are listed, nor are they within a conservation area, although the Central Gardens are listed Grade II.

Historic England also urged the council to better protect the area around the gardens.

It said: "We regret the lack of statutory protection around the Pleasure Gardens, and as a wider point encourage you to consider conservation area designation to better protect the gardens from inappropriate development - such as this proposal - within their setting."