We have been selected as the chosen developer for the land on the site of the former magistrates’ court and police station, car parks and disused land.
We hope to bring to the local community an exciting development of new homes as well as flexible community / retail space and retirement living. The plans were submitted and registered with BCP Council under application numbers 8/18/3263/FUL and 8/18/3264/DCONS. There are two references because of the conservation area that part of the site is located in. You can view the submitted planning documentation by clicking here and filling in the application numbers in the appropriate box. BCP Council’s Planning Committee approved the proposals on 20 February 2020.
Overview
The project includes 130 new homes for Christchurch in a range of different home types and tenures, including affordable homes, such as discount/starter homes, and homes for affordable rent and shared ownership. This will allow more local families to secure affordable homes in the area they love. We will also provide 39 units of sheltered accommodation, and 612 m² of flexible commercial/community space, a new road connecting Bargates and Barrack Road – initially for pedestrians and cyclists only -, new vehicular access from Barrack Road (to serve the sheltered accommodation only), new private and semi-private gardens, public open space, hard and soft landscaping, surface vehicular parking and residential garages.
The plans have been shaped by many factors, including the feedback received throughout the public consultation process. In a nutshell:
- We have significantly reduced the retail element in the proposed development and increased its uses for flexibility purposes
- We are retaining as many trees as possible on the site and our landscape proposals include more trees to be planted than there are currently on the site
- We have removed a proposed footpath to Twynham Avenue that we received concerns about and we are proposing a strip of trees, hedges and shrubs between rear gardens and the proposed development which will act as a green buffer, make instead of made attractive to local wildlife through the use of native tree and plant species rich in berries – their natural diet.
- We will provide safe pedestrian crossings on Barrack Road and Bargates, and one of the Barrack Road crossings is now designed for use by cyclists as well
- An eastbound bus stop on Barrack Road has been included
Have a look at the fly-though overview of the development by clicking here.