PLANS have been submitted to turn a former Bournemouth hairdressers site into a new tattoo studio. 

Following the "great success" of their Ferndown facility, Ark Tattoo LTD has submitted a planning application to open a second studio in the town centre.

Francesco hairdressers who previously owned the site confirmed its Bourne Avenue branch would close for good in 2020 following the lockdown.

As the site currently has an "ideal layout", according to Ark Tattoo LTD, there would be "no proposed structural changes" in their plans.

A statement by the applicated submitted as part of the proposal said: "Our current studio has proved to be a great success since opening in 2019; the business has grown so rapidly that we are in need of a larger premises in order to expand. Renovations to our original studio have only added value to the property and it also brought an increase in footfall to the road.

"All of our artists are in great demand, being booked up for months in advance with long waiting lists. Because of this demand, many of our clients travel not only from around the country but also internationally, thus injecting money into other businesses in the local area.

"The majority of our clients make a trip out of visiting for their tattoo, booking hotels, using public transport, eating out in restaurants and visiting shops. We believe our studio can bring a diverse range of people to Bournemouth who will be contributing to the economy."

The business runs an appointment-only policy and depends entirely on social media to attract customers.

The applicant's statement added: "There will not be any specific tattoo-related advertising outside of the shop or on the shop front; our studio name does not include the word ‘tattoo’. We gain all of our clients from social media so there is no need for any further advertisement. There is a small ground-floor entrance to the studio which would house a selection of T-shirts, jumpers, hats, and artwork prints from our artists, and the studio itself would be out of view of the high street up the stairs on the first floor."

The new studio's opening hours would be from 9.30am until 6pm Monday to Saturday.

The application is currently being assessed by BCP Council's planning department.