PLANS to demolish a derelict hotel in Boscombe and replace it with assisted living accommodation are being recommended for refusal due to concerns about its scale.

An application was submitted by the owners of the former Cliff End Hotel, the Gervis Meyrick Estate, in January with the proposal described as “a revitalised gateway to the East Cliff”.

However, ahead of a decision being made by Bournemouth council’s planning board on Monday (September 17), planning officers have said that the scale of the replacement building is “too great” and have recommended that permission be refused.

The hotel has been empty since 2002 and was wrecked by fire in 2012, becoming a target for squatting, vandalism and fly-tipping.

Following a public consultation in 2017, the estate put forward its scheme to demolish the building and replace it with 65 assisted living units with a range of communal facilities.

Residents and councillors have been calling for redevelopment of the site for years but planning officers are recommending that the scheme be rejected.

A report to the council’s planning board says: “I have fundamental concerns regarding the scale of the proposal in terms of its height and bulk in relation to the size of the plot which would not be in keeping with the character of the conservation area and would not be in line with the adopted development brief.

“Although the setback from Manor Road is positive, I am concerned that the building is sited very near to the southern and eastern boundaries which would result in a development that was overly dominant in this setting.

“The size of the building’s footprint allows little opportunity for any other positioning, again highlighting that the scale of the proposal is too great for the size of the site.”

Six letters of objection opposing the scheme have also been submitted to the council including one from Bournemouth Civic Society echoing concerns about the scale of the proposed building.

The application has been referred to the planning board for a decision due to the “significant public interest” surrounding the scheme and will be considered at its meeting on Monday (September 17).