RESIDENTS have called for a 19th century Bournemouth hotel to be demolished – calling the “deteriorating” building an “eyesore”.
Development firm Aram Developments is hoping to demolish St Michael’s Hotel in St Michael’s Road, West Hill with the backing of BCP Council.
Currently walls are crumbling and worn down, with graffitied panelling placed around the perimeter.
Residents have been writing to the council calling for a new development of 45 apartments to be built in the hotel’s place.
Bournemouth resident Khalifah supported the scheme, saying the old hotel is an “eyesore” and has become a “hotspot for negative activities like drug use and homelessness”.
He added: “[This] impacts local businesses and residents, this has severely impacted tourism as well particularly the West Cliff area.”
Ibrahim Hamad said he too is in favour of knocking down “miserable” former hotel and said it is “time to prioritise the safety and wellbeing of businesses and communities”.
Phillip Ray described the scheme as “cram ‘em in and pile ‘em high”, adding: “This whole area is in a sad sorry state – check out the Manchester Hotel opposite – and no sane person in their right mind would buy anything on this road.”
If the new scheme is approved, no parking will be provided for the 45 flats in line with a BCP Council planning policy, but developers have pointed out there will be 50 bicycle spaces.
Resident Brian Sutcliffe said BCP Council has “no means of managing on street parking”, adding the need for extra parking on the street because on-site parking isn’t included, will “promote conflict”.
“BCP has no means of preventing the occupiers of this development from owning vehicles, no means of preventing an increased on street parking demand,” he said.
Meanwhile, Historic England’s Eve Van der Steen said she has concerns about the “harmful impact of the loss of a prominent and positive building on the character and appearance” of the area.
St Michael’s Hotel is in the West Cliff and Poole Hill conservation area.
The design of the new building is said to take reference from the “strong” Victorian character of the West Hill area “with the aim of creating a higher level of coherence and detailing compared to the existing building”.
BCP Council will decide on the application and residents are currently able to make comments.
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