A TWENTY-year strategy for the redevelopment of Bournemouth has been unveiled to an audience of councillors, architects, planners and investors.

Council leader Cllr Stephen MacLoughlin outlined a "master vision" for Bournemouth, calling for a change in attitude towards what could be achieved in the town.

Cllr MacLoughlin demanded "commitment and vision" towards a five-stage redevelopment from the Interchange to the Triangle.

"There is a hunger in the town for the sort of transformation we have witnessed in Boscombe, with its concept of a spa village," he said. But he failed to deliver a decision on controversial plans for a town-centre casino, saying the Conservative cabinet was still in negotiation with developers over an agreement signed by the Liberal Democrats on their last day in power.

But he ruled out student housing for the Winter Gardens development, saying the council had "definitely said no" to student accommodation at the site.

Cllr John Beesley, Bournemouth council's planning chief, backed Cllr MacLouglin, warning that failure to deliver a town that captured the spirit of Bournemouth would leave councillors a legacy for which they would never be forgiven. "A master vision is essential to ensure we deliver for the future, and not what private developers can exploit for short- term gain," he said.

Cllr Beesley said that infrastructure was critical to redevelopment plans, and that a time-frame of between 10 and 20 years was essential for effective management of traffic and parking.

"Redevelopment of the built environment will fail if we don't get the infrastructure right," he warned.

The town had woken from its geriatric vision, said Cllr Beesley, and must attract outside investment from major PLCs.

The audience had earlier heard from Ben Page, a consultant with the polling organisation Mori. He said that development had a greater effect on personal happiness than owning a Porsche.

"There are over 700 studies showing a link between the built environment and personal happiness," he said.