A NEW proposal for houses and apartments has been submitted for the site of the former coastguard training centre in Christchurch.

A planning application has been lodged for the Steamer Point site off Seaway Avenue asking for the demolition of the building and construction of 21 houses and apartment with basement parking for the flats.

The proposal for the 1.35 hectare site comes from Pennyfarthing Homes of New Milton.

Four three-bed houses and nine three-bed apartments are being proposed along with eight houses of four or more bedrooms – together with 70 car parking spaces across the site, including those in a basement area.

An apartment block would be set back into the corner of the triangular site with houses around it.

The Marine and Coastguard Agency site was last used by the organisation in 2015 and has been the subject of a number of applications for homes since then, none of which have been built, two going to appeal after being refused.

One of the last applications, for 26 homes, was rejected last year on a number of grounds, including that: “The proposed development, by reason of the siting, scale, bulk and height of the proposed buildings will have an unacceptable visual impact on the character and appearance of this prominent cliff top site. As a result, the scheme will unacceptably detract from the character and appearance of the area.”

That application attracted dozens of letters of objection.

Comments on the latest application, BCP reference 8/21/0783, can be submitted until September 17.