THE owners of a seaside hotel have been given permission to extend their premises and provide a roof terrace for guests.

Bournemouth Sands Hotel at West Cliff Gardens applied for consent to erect a single-storey flat-roofed extension to enlarge the dining area and accommodate a terraced area.

Tony Ramsden from Planning Solutions told the council’s planning board how the owners had increased trade and occupancy rates following ‘significant investment’.

He added: “The restaurant is too small and guests have requested outside space, which will have no impact on local residents.”

Hotel owner Sam Wilson stressed that the Sands hotel was a family business catering for an older clientele, adding: “We don’t have stag or hen dos. Our guests have nowhere to sit outside; it might be a small application for you but it is vital for our business.”

Recommending that the application should be refused, planning officer Steve Davies said: “We feel it would be detrimental to the character of the conservation area.”

But ward councillor Rae Stollard, pictured, who lives near the site, said: “I feel it can only enhance the area.

“It will be a much-needed amenity for what is predominantly a coach hotel.

“We must ensure Bournemouth’s continued prosperity as a resort.”

Cllr Mike Greene moved that the application be granted and Cllr Phil Stanley-Watts seconded the move, adding: “A refusal does not make economic sense; businesses such as these need investment in order to survive.”

Cllr Malcolm Davies said: “We have got to remember the financial times we are living in.

“Our hoteliers need as much support as we can give them,” while Cllr Roger West said: “The building itself is absolutely awful from the design point of view; in consequence almost anything else would be an improvement.”

The scheme won the planning board’s unanimous support.