DEVELOPERS have been urged to bring forward more schemes with houses rather than flats by the chair of BCP Council's planning committee.

As members of the committee unanimously approved plans for more than 100 affordable homes in Poole, Cllr David Kelsey said "let's have more of this please".

Poole Housing Partnership (PHP) has been given the green light for 81 houses and a block of 29 indepedent living apartments on ground, which was previously Hillbourne School and Nursery in Kitchener Crescent.

The move to grant the scheme was tabled by Cllr Marion Le Poidevin, She said she liked fact the application included a large number of houses and the affordable element to all the properties.

The proposal will provide 29 one-bed apartments, 40 two-bed houses and 41 three-bed houses, all of which will be affordable housing or shared ownership.

Cllr Kelsey said: "I think it is a brilliant scheme. I like the design of the scheme. It is going to be in keeping and as Cllr Le Poidevin said it is houses. Let's have more of this please when people are coming through with developments.

"We want more housing, so if all applicants can hear that loud and clear that is what we want in this area."

The housing will be located on land to the north and south of the multi-million-pound Hillbourne Primary School building, which opened last year.

Last year, PHP the council’s arm’s length management organisation, said subject to securing planning permission, it aimed to start construction in May this year and have it completed by the summer of 2024.

"I think it is something that we desperately need," said Cllr Kelsey. "I congratulate PHP for what they are doing on this. I think they have worked really hard along with the officers to get this scheme coming forward.

"It is something I know the previous Poole council always wanted happen and I am really, really glad that has happened.

"The area deserves housing. How many times do we bang on about that in this room? Every time it is where's the affordable housing, where's the affordable housing? Now we have got a full scheme with full housing for affordable reasons, no matter what the scheme is and I for one am so happy about that."

A written statement objecting to the application from resident Jane Yates said the land should be left as originally intended for educational use.

She said she had been assured there was a covenant on the land for this purpose and that trees were being felled for the development to take place.

"We cannot complain at having obese children if we are to take their school land away," said Ms Yates.

"There are far too many homes that will be crammed into what is the last green space that remains in this area. Two new access points create added danger for pedestrians at busy times.

"There will be no land left should the school need to expand."

Fellow objector Richard Kaye's statement said residents in Wetherby Close were being "unfairly treated" with all other borders of the site having plans in place for 1.8-metre high fencing.

Huw Rettie, project architect from Kendall Kingscott, said the plans had been the combination of three years of "detailed design development".

He said the scheme would create "sustainable and contemporary homes designed for residents of all ages and backgrounds".

Creekmoor ward councillor Judy Butt raised concerns of residents in Coventry Crescent over the loss of trees that would provide a screen from the site.

Lloyd Fursdon, BCP Council arboricultural officer, told the committee following an assessment it was deemed that these trees did not warrant retention.

The committee voted that planning permission be delegated to the head of planning to approve subject to completion of the legal agreement relating to affordable housing and the investigation of partial obscured glazing to bedroom windows within the assisted living block.