Approval for £12.5m Bournemouth scheme

A £12.5m housing development in Bournemouth town centre has been given the green light.The St Stephen’s Road scheme will comprise 46 flats in two multi-storey blocks with a mix of one, two and three-bedroom properties.There will be 36 parking spaces for residents and visitors, including two disability spaces, through a mix of undercroft, basement and surface provision. There will also be a motorcycle space and 52 bike spaces.The site is located opposite St Stephen’s Church and is currently a surface car park used during weekday office hours by council staff.It has been earmarked for residential use in the Bournemouth Council’s area action plan for several years. It has been brought forward by the Bournemouth Development Company, a delivery partner for the Town Centre Vision.Following the approval granted by the council’s planning committee, work on site will begin in the autumn of 2017 with the construction programme due to take 18 months to complete.Bournemouth-based planning agency Terence O’Rourke consulted on the scheme.