IN your article ‘Innovation studio gets the go-ahead’ (Thursday November, 7), BCP planning officer Sarah Scannell claims that the newly approved AUB building’s revised plans “would generally enhance the character and appearance of the area”. As the area in question is a residential village, and the building is a gaudy orange ‘quirky’ design, it will in fact be totally out of character with its neighbouring properties, both the residential and AUB buildings. Sarah Scannell clearly lives nowhere near Talbot Village or she wouldn’t make such comments.

The previous design, approved by Poole Council in 2017, was withdrawn earlier this year solely because of concerns about the intended closure of a residential road for some 60 weeks, whilst the council completely ignored the wishes of local residents that were vehemently against the building design/colour from the start. It was most telling that a senior councillor on the planning committee at the December 2017 meeting stated that she “was inclined to grant the application because of the relationship that the council has with the Universities” – that ‘relationship’ clearly being more important than the wishes of the local residents.

The Arts University, regrettably, still continues to antagonise the local population, being intent only on getting some inconsequential architectural award for a monstrosity that will be, like a previous innovation building, a complete commercial failure.

G SMITH

Drew Close, Poole