Bournemouth council-owned nursery site protected from development

The nursery will reopen for four days in February to sell the remaining stock

Land occupied by a council-owned plant nursery cannot be sold or developed because of restrictions on the site, the authority has confirmed.

Bournemouth Christchurch and Poole (BCP) Council has closed Kings Park Plant Nursery, saying it ran at a loss of more than £225,000 last year.

It said it was now exploring alternative community uses.

Bournemouth East MP Tobias Ellwood said closing the nursery would have "almost zero impact" on the council's budget.

The closure is one of a number of measures by BCP Council, which is seeking to plug a £50m funding gap.

The council said the facility had previously supplied the three towns and nearby councils with bedding plants but growing financial pressures on local authorities had meant that side of the business had significantly declined.

Deputy council leader Millie Earl said: "Last year, the cost of operating the nursery was £527,574 and the income that the nursery generated was £302,158, this meant that the council tax payers from our three towns subsidised the nursery by £225,416."

'Bring joy'

Ms Earl said the council had already received expressions of interest from groups and charities interested in taking over the site for community use.

"I'd like to reassure the local community that the site is protected - it can't be sold or developed for housing, and any future use must comply with the 1985 Bournemouth Borough Council Act which safeguards Kings Park," she said.

Mr Ellwood has launched a petition calling for the nursery to be saved.

He said: "In a bid to reduce costs, BCP Council is wrongly turning its attention to leisure, cultural and community assets.

"These are services and facilities that bring joy to our residents and support communities."

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