It’s an incredibly exciting time for the South Coast town of Bournemouth, and our Bournemouth Development Plans Conference on the 18th April is set to hear above some incredible development and procurement opportunities from both public and private sector leaders in the built environment industry. One of the key talking points is set to be around the 16 council-owned sites which have been identified by the Bournemouth Borough Council for development in the town centre. We take a look at some of the sites identified for development over the next 20 years:

Bath Road & South

Possible Uses: Leisure, cultural, entertainment, restaurant and underground parking.

Zaha Hadid Architects are working with Bournemouth Development Company to design an exciting new cultural quart close to Bournemouth’s world renowned seafront. The site is one of the most prominent and strategic locations in the town and it sits next to the Lower Gardens and Pavilion Theatre with great views across Bournemouth Bat to the Purbecks and Old Harry Rocks. The project aims to enhance the operations and visitor experience at the Pavilion whilst drawing more people along Westover Road. It’s envisaged that public realm investment would be needed to link the quarter to the seafront, town centre and Winter Gardens development via a Grand Garden Walk – along with around 400 car parking spaces. The development is now in the process of discussing initial proposals with stakeholders before public consultation and potential planning application.

Central Car Park

Possible Uses: Homes, Public Car Park

The development would give the site prominence in the townscape and the scheme needs to deliver quality, style and functionality. This project is in its early stages with extensive public engagement to ensure the right kind of sensitively-designed development which respects the site’s setting in the surrounding conservation areas.

Cotlands Road

Possible Uses: Mixed Use, Education, Offices, Car Park

This surface car park is close to the travel interchange and is expected to come forward for rejuvenation soon. The scheme will have to work closely with universities and local businesses to ensure the important space creates opportunities for education and employment in the town. The site offices suitable space for offices, education and a replacement car park as part of a comprehensive mixed use development. The Bournemouth Development Company are aiming for a bold design for the development and a holistic approach to urban planning will create a stronger visual identity and a more vibrant atmosphere in the area.

Durley Road

Possible Uses: Residential

It’s likely that a planning application will be submitted in early 2018 for around 44 apartments along with residents private parking. The site has been identified for several years with a public exhibition of plans held back in November.

Eden Glen

Possible Uses: Residential, Leisure

An exciting opportunity for either residential, leisure or even both! A well thought out design solution for the site would need to respect the listed gardens and their settings but a great location for a great development opportunity.

Glen Fern

Possible Uses: Residential, Car Park

Detailed plans are yet to be drawn up for the site but proposals will respect the setting of the surrounding conservation areas and of the neighbouring St Peter’s Church which is also a listed building. There is a real opportunity to improve the appearance of the existing car park on the corner of Glen Fern Road and St Peter’s Road through a mixed use development including new homes.

Richmond Hill

Possible Uses: Car Park, Residential

Sitting adjacent to the Richmond Gate development and within the Richmond Hill Tall Building Area this site offers a popular area and a great development opportunity. A very new development site and Bournemouth Development Company will be keen to engage with others to build on this more.

Town Hall

Possible Uses: Office Space, Car Park

The Town Hall sees an opportunity to development the annexe- which is currently the home of several key council departments. The existing office building, which contains two levels of car parking, is suitable for redevelopment to include employment uses and parking, and is a new identified area for development.

Winter Gardens:

Following a public consultation held in October 2016, a planning application has been submitted for a £150 million mixed-use development scheme at Winter Gardens. The proposals include residential, restaurant, leisure and retail space with new parking facilities and public realm. It is anticipated that a planning decision will be made early in 2018. The plans envisage the complete transformation of the 1.98 hectare (4.89 acre) site, used as a car park since the demolition of the concert hall in 2006 following its closure four years earlier.

Reflecting a demand for contemporary town centre living, the plans include 352 high-quality homes involving one, two and three-bed apartments and penthouses. Most will have balconies or terraces with extensive views of the sea, coastline and conurbation.The residences are arranged across four multi-storey buildings of varying heights set amidst considerable landscaped grounds for leisure, recreation and residential amenity.

The 225 public parking spaces currently on site will be re-provided in a new below-ground car park discretely located under a landscaped podium with 369 additional dedicated spaces for residents and visitors.There will also be 356 secure, covered cycle spaces for residents and a further 36 cycle spaces for visitors as well as additional public cycle spaces.

Up to five units for high-quality restaurants are proposed along Exeter Road, so helping to raise and diversify the choice of dining experiences in the area and enliven the streetscape. A new food store will also serve to meet the needs of people living locally, so contributing to economic vitality.

As well as dedicated built space for family leisure, further multi-function open areas include a new piazza at the junction of Exeter and Cranborne Road, a linear park alongside Cranborne Road and other publicly accessible open spaces with opportunities for outdoor cafés and children’s play areas.

A widened area of landscaped pedestrian realm along Exeter Road will help to deliver an important part of the Grand Garden Walk, an initiative to provide a continuous promenade for pedestrians and cyclists around the town centre.  This will link with the proposed piazza which in turn forms an important and enlivened public space creating a hub between the scheme and the recently completed Hilton and BH2 developments.

West Hill Road

Possible Uses: Residential, Car Park

Another newly identified development area which would integrate into the existing pattern of development in the West Cliffe and Poole Hill areas.

With so much happening in Bournemouth and the South Coast region the Bournemouth Development Plans Conference is a must attend so join us there!