A BOURNEMOUTH hotel could be demolished and replaced with 24 apartments and six holiday lets.

Harlequin Homes has applied to BCP Council for permission to demolish Babbacombe Lodge in West Hill Road – a building which was first built in the late 19th century.

A design and access statement from Pure Town Planning said: “The proposal is for the demolition of the existing hotel and the erection of a mixed use development comprising of 24 flats and six holiday lets with associated access and parking.

“The proposed residential use for this site is wholly appropriate, due to the excellent siting within Bournemouth Town Centre and close proximity to local facilities and services, schools, leisure facilities, beaches and transport connections.

“The layout of the proposed development has been carefully considered and the siting of the new building has been principally driven to work with the existing pattern of development along West Hill Road and the historic surrounding context.

“The proposal constitutes an architectural design which would make a positive contribution to the built environment, fitting in well with the established pattern of development in the locality.

“Through the use of traditional design and the inclusion of many period features, such as bay windows, stone headers and decorative brick work, the proposal would enhance the townscape quality.”

Speaking of the existing hotel, the application said its main users were language school students and it did not offer catering or leisure facilities.

It has a minimum booking term of two weeks, with prices starting at £120 per room, per week.

The statement added: “The existing building provides low quality accommodation, which is unavailable/unsuitable to most tourists who visit the town due to the poor service offer and minimum booking term.

“There is a need to continually facilitate the upgrading of accommodation to reflect current expectations and maintain Bournemouth’s offer as a high-quality destination which offers a suitable range of accommodation and contributes positively to the tourism strategy vision of creating a ‘world class experience’.

“In this instance, the proposal would deliver six self-contained holiday lets as part of the mixed use development. Taking account of the accommodation which could be provided by foldable sofa beds, the development would provide up to 25 bedspaces for visiting tourists. This is a net gain of five spaces when compared to the existing use.

“This is a suitable site in a town centre location, where it meets an identified need for housing to meet local needs. The development would also maintain and improve the tourism function of the area and local community by delivering high-quality holidays flats as part of the development.”