BOURNEMOUTH council’s plans for the £150m redevelopment of the Winter Gardens site are set to be considered at the end of the month.

Described as the largest scheme in the town’s history, it would see the construction of hundreds of flats, more than 500 car parking spaces, restaurant and retail space as well as a new open plaza area.

It had originally been hoped that the application would be considered earlier this year, but Cllr Philip Broadhead, the cabinet member for economic growth, has confirmed that it will go to members of the planning committee later this month.

The original Winter Gardens concert hall, between the Bournemouth International Centre and Hilton Hotel, was closed in 2002 before being demolished four years later.

Applications to redevelop the five-acre site were submitted in 2006 and 2011 but later withdrawn with a scheme put forward in 2013 refused due to concerns over its scale and design.

In October 2017, the council, through its partnership with Morgan Sindall – Bournemouth Development Company – revealed its plans before purchasing privately-owned parts of the site last year.

They include the construction of 352 one, two and three-bedroom flats across four blocks – the tallest being 15 storeys.

The proposals also include provision of space for restaurant and retail use, a plaza and 581 parking spaces – 225 of which will be for the public as the relocation of spaces lost elsewhere in the town centre through the council’s strategy of building on its car parks.

Objections to the scheme have been lodged by Historic England due to fears about the development’s impact on the Royal Exeter Hotel and by Natural England due to the lack of environmental mitigation measures proposed in the application.

Planning committee chairman Cllr Kelsey said in May that he believed the application would be on the agenda of either its June or July meeting and told councillors in September that it could be decided at a special meeting in October.

However, at Wednesday’s cabinet meeting Cllr Broadhead confirmed that the application would be going to the committee later this month.

A spokesman for the council said that it would be considered at a special meeting at 10am on November 28.