Harry Redknapp revises Bournemouth hotel flats plan

Harry Redknapp and his wife Sandra, who live in Sandbanks, are behind the plans for the former Belgravia Hotel

A third attempt has been made by football manager Harry Redknapp to redevelop a hotel into flats and homes.

Pierfront Developments, whose directors include Mr Redknapp and his wife Sandra, has already seen two previous proposals to demolish the Belgravia Hotel refused by Bournemouth council.

Concerns included the loss of the building in Christchurch Road.

The latest scheme seeks permission to convert the building into a smaller number of homes.

Planning officers rejected the first application for the site in February 2017, while a second proposal was turned down by members of the council's planning committee in December, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

Other concerns included the impact on the East Cliff conservation area.

Two previous proposals to demolish the hotel have been refused by Bournemouth Borough Council

The latest scheme would see the main building retained and converted into 14 flats, although the coach house would be demolished and replaced with five mews houses.

Since it was last used as a hotel, the building has been converted to provide "self-contained bedsit accommodation" and the new proposals would "formalise" its residential use, according to a planning statement.

This adds that "the planning balance weighs heavily in favour of the proposal" due to the council being "unable" to meet new housing targets being considered by the government.

None of the residential units in the latest proposal would be affordable due to a viability assessment which found it would only be feasible to include any "on reduced profit margins".