Plans by Bournemouth Development Company for the Winter Gardens scheme in Bournemouth have been approved by Bournemouth Council Planning Board
The Winter Gardens is a transformative scheme, which will combine new homes, leisure and social spaces where people will live, work and socialise.
The site has a long history in the town but has been under-utilised in recent years. The next step in Bournemouth Development Company’s plans for regenerating the town centre aims to secure Winter Gardens’ place as part of the future of the town.
This £150m scheme is one of the biggest that Bournemouth has ever seen, and will be a major boost to the whole local economy. It will generate new jobs, attract more visitors all year round, and make the town centre a more enjoyable place to visit for local residents.
Winter Gardens will create over 350 new homes of a variety of sizes, which will be a major benefit to the town, where demand for well-designed, quality housing in accessible locations is extremely high. It will also preserve and improve 225 public parking spaces that are currently on the Winter Gardens site.
The Winter Gardens scheme has received support from a wide range of local business organisations, include the Dorset Chamber of Commerce, Bournemouth Chamber of Commerce, the Dorset Local Enterprise Partnership, the Bournemouth Coastal BID, and the Bournemouth Towne Centre BID.
Commenting on the planning approval, Councillor John Beesley, Leader of Bournemouth Council, said: “Over the last six years Bournemouth has seen unprecedented levels of development. This latest scheme will further demonstrate the success of the Council’s Town Centre Vision which has seen £300m of development completed and £200m currently in the construction phase. This level of development would be impressive in any town or city, but for Bournemouth is a real game changer.
“The Winter Gardens site has been under-utilised for many years and the fact that this scheme now has planning permission marks a major milestone for Bournemouth. The Department for International Trade is now working closely with Bournemouth Development Company and the Council to promote this development internationally as a great investment location, and also Bournemouth as a place for delivering ground breaking regeneration.”
Duncan Johnston, Director, Bournemouth Development Company, added: “We are delighted with the Planning Board’s decision. The commitment to the Winter Gardens site over a number of years, and the hard work of the whole team, has today helped to start a new chapter in the transformation of this iconic but long-disused site.
“Bournemouth has a lot to be proud of, and we want to safeguard this for the future. The regeneration of the Winter Gardens site is a truly aspirational, exciting and significant step in helping the town become the best place to live, work and study in.
“The Winter Gardens will also be a major boost for the local economy, providing modern and attractive spaces for businesses, creating new jobs and encouraging more visitor numbers into the town throughout the year.”
