Civic centre to be sold for £5.25m to developers

BCP Council approved the civic centre's sale at a meeting on Tuesday

A former civic centre will be sold for £5.25m to developers.

Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP) Council has approved the sale of the vacant former Borough of Poole site, which the authority said was costing £228,000 a year to maintain.

The Grade II listed building was constructed in 1932 but has been empty since 2022 after BCP Council's formation three years earlier.

BCP Council's deputy leader Mike Cox said the authority felt there were "no alternatives" but to sell the site, which will be taken over by Manchester-based MCR Property Group.

It had been marketed for offers between February and May and the council said it would now be used for housing.

Poole MP Neil Duncan-Jordan said he opposed the plan to sell the building in the autumn.

He said in October that it could be used for the community, such as for a business development hub or social or key worker housing.

In a statement, Cox said of the sale: "This marks a really significant step forward - not just for the site itself but for Poole and our residents more widely.

"We're committed to being ambitious for our three towns and this sale will unlock the redevelopment of a site that has been laying empty for years."