IT HAS been five years in the making, but developers are hoping to start a major Bournemouth housing scheme later this year. 

In June 2022, planning consent was given to build 100 flats at the former highways depot site in Cambridge Road, Bournemouth. 

But work behind the scenes has meant the project’s admin work is only just concluding nearly two years later. 

Poole-based Bayview Developments, the firm behind the £40m scheme, is expected to start building work at the end of the year. 

Project manager Jon Trembath told the Echo he hopes the apartments will finally be ready to move into in early 2026. 

Bournemouth Echo: CGI of the developmentCGI of the development (Image: Bayview Developments)

Bournemouth Echo: CGI of development in Cambridge Road, Bournemouth

He said: “Everything we do is bespoke; it’s all done with consideration and it’s taken us five years to get to this stage and we have all worked really hard behind the scenes along with BCP Council. 

“We had a resolution to grant the scheme in June 2022 subject to s106 agreements. We hope to finalise the legal side of the process in six to eight weeks’ time. 

“But because of the size of the project, there’s a lot of pre-work to be done so we hope to start building work at the end of the year. 

“The site is mostly clean, though, there’s just a little bit of tree work to be done.” 

The homes will not be affordable, Mr Trembath said, however Bayview Developments will be contributing £3m for affordable housing as part of the s106 agreement with the council. 

Bournemouth Echo: CGI of development in Cambridge Road, Bournemouth

Bournemouth Echo: Cambridge Road in Bournemouth

The scheme includes 72 on-site car parking spaces. 

Members of BCP Council’s planning committee unanimously approved the scheme at a meeting on June 16, 2022, in line with the officer’s recommendation. 

Planning officer Tom Hubbard had said the 13-storey height was a “significant change” to the character of the immediate area around the site. 

However, he added it will continue the trend for higher density development along the Wessex Way corridor, such as in Richmond Hill. 

The site was previously home to Summerhayes Hotel until it was demolished in the late 1980s or early 1990s. 

It was then used as a temporary car park before becoming a storage area for highway materials and equipment until 2016. The land has been vacant for the past eight years.