DOUBTS have been expressed as to whether Bournemouth’s ambitious Pavilion Gardens casino and leisure scheme will ever go ahead.

The council’s contract with developer Trevor Osborne originally required him to meet a series of conditions – including pre-letting the casino and securing funding – by 30 September 2008.

Delays in reaching agreement with the Meyrick Estate led to this being extended twice and the contract now expires at the end of this month.

But Trevor Osborne Property Group’s request for a further two-year extension of this deadline has sparked concerns that the necessary funding is not in place.

A council report states: “Some of the conditions, most notably the funding condition, remain unfulfilled and the purchaser has requested a further two-year extension to this long-stop date.

“Given the time elapsed since the signing of this contract, it is appropriate to review whether this scheme is still capable of being delivered.”

Cabinet members will consider the issue at its next meeting on Wednesday, October 13.

“If the situation remains the same, one of the options open to councillors will be to serve notice on the Trevor Osborne Property Group.

The Trevor Osborne Property Group’s proposals for the site include the refurbishment of the Pavilion and the construction of a new leisure complex on the Bath Road North car park.

“This will include a casino and several restaurants.

In a statement, Trevor Osborne told the Echo: “The existing Pavilion Gardens development and the refurbishment of the Pavilion has been held up until the settlement of technical legal issues relating to the council’s Trust.

“The council has now resolved these issues, providing an opportunity for the scheme to be progressed. Discussions are taking place concerning improvements to the project following the successful launch of South West Dance.

“We are fully committed to the Pavilion project and are progressing these discussions enthusiastically.”