Plans to convert a large detached property in Bournemouth into a specialist secondary school have been refused.
An application was submitted in November last year to change the use of a former guest house on Southbourne Road in Southbourne into a Special Educational Needs and Disabilities school, after the fourteen bedroom building stopped operating as visitor accommodation earlier in the year.
The proposal, put forward by the Connie Rothman Learning Trust, involved internal alterations only, with no changes to the exterior of the property, and set out how the building would be reconfigured across three floors to support teaching, staff facilities and administrative space.
Plans showed classrooms spread across all floors, alongside a head teacher’s office, reception area, staff room, IT space, dining facilities and a dedicated sixth form area, with the school intended to operate during standard weekday hours.
The school would have catered for up to forty five students supported by a total of twenty four staff, however council officers concluded the level of activity would place unacceptable pressure on the surrounding area.
In refusing the application on February 5, officers said the proposal would lead to over intensification of use, including increased vehicle movements, and highlighted the absence of sufficient car parking and cycle storage provision.
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