A PROPOSAL to demolish a Bournemouth office block and build a block of 33 flats has been given the green light by council planners.

The scheme for the six-storey block at 17 Holdenhurst Road, Lansdowne, was brought forward by Majestic Property & Estates Limited.

The housing will be made up of studio, one and two-bed flats in a building with a “stepped design”.

A previous plan for a 13-storey block, which used adjacent land, was dismissed on appeal.

While planning permission was already in place for the conversion of the existing building into homes and an additional two-storeys, the new approved proposal will see the site cleared.

Ken Parke, managing director of Ken Parke Planning Consultants Ltd who represented the applicant, said: “The site was very challenging. The position in the centre of the street block results in the site being surrounded by buildings on all sides.

“The replacement building had to respond to the many constraints posed by the variety of surrounding buildings and uses.

“The resultant design solution resolved the many issues and provides a well-designed building which transitions between the historic and modern areas of the Lansdowne defining the edge of the tall buildings area.

“It means a substantial development of much-needed residential properties can go-ahead in an area of Bournemouth which has been a priority for regeneration over recent years.”

Fordingbridge-based architects Brightspace worked with Ken Parke Planning Consultants on the scheme.

The plans include three car parking spaces for servicing and delivery purposes only, with no spaces for residents. This is in line with the council’s parking standards for town centre developments.

A report by BCP Council planning officer said there would be “minor impacts” to the privacy and outlook of neighbouring properties but this was outweighed by the public benefits of the scheme, including the “viable development of a significant amount of housing in a sustainable location”.

The report said: “Living conditions for future occupants are considered acceptable overall, with the provision of some private and communal amenity space for future occupants.

“There are also significant benefits in terms of making use of a vacant and under-utilised town centre site, improving the activity, vitality, and viability of the area.”

It added: “The proposal provides residential development in a sustainable town centre location, and the 32 flats will contribute significantly towards local housing supply.”

The application was approved by officers under delegated powers.

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