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Allowed31 March 20253351431

Former Southern Gas Network Site, Bridge Street, Christchurch, Dorset, BH23 1AZ

Planning appeal 3351431 at Former Southern Gas Network Site, Bridge Street, Christchurch, Dorset, BH23 1AZ (Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole) was allowed on 31 March 2025 by Inspector Bore J, following an inquiry. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: The effect of the scheme's design and scale on the character of the area, the settings of heritage assets and protected trees.

Redevelopment to form a multigenerational community comprising 177 open market, affordable and retirement living apartments, 237 square metres of Class E commercial space, communal facilities, access, car parking, landscaping and all associated works

Authority
Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole
Appeal type
major · Planning Appeal
Procedure
Inquiry
Development
residential · Major dwellings
Inspector
Bore J
Postcode
BH23 1AZ

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

  • The effect of the scheme's design and scale on the character of the area, the settings of heritage assets and protected trees
  • Flood risk and drainage

What decided it

The overwhelming weight of the housing, regeneration and town-centre investment benefits, combined with the finding that the site should be treated as Flood Zone 3a and passed the sequential and exception tests, outweighed any design contrast or flood risk concerns.

The substantial benefits of 177 homes (including retirement living), brownfield regeneration, town centre investment and heritage setting improvement were found to provide an overwhelming reason for granting permission, with no identified harm to character, heritage or flood risk to weigh against them

What the Inspector cited

Development plan policies
Policy KS4Policy CH1Policy HE1Policy BE5Policy BE15Policy HE2Policy LN1Policy ME6Policy P10
National Planning Policy Framework
Paragraph 135

How the Inspector dealt with each one is set out in the app, in order: the development plan, national policy, housing land supply, other considerations and the planning balance, beside the letter.

See how each was applied

The decision letter

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More decisions in Bournemouth Christchurch and Poole

The authority’s record since 2016 · every decision in 2025

  1. Dismissed15 October 20266006741
    6 Park Place, Poole, BH14 0LY
  2. Allowed28 September 20266007175
    281-291 and The Old Joinery, Bournemouth Road, Poole, BH14 9AH
  3. Allowed24 September 20266007187
    5 Higher Blandford Road, Poole, BH18 9AB
  4. Allowed4 September 20266003539
    Marina Court, 34 Banks Road, Poole, BH13 7QE
  5. Dismissed3 September 20266007779
    31A The Avenue, Poole, BH13 6LJ

The main issues, what decided it, the planning balance and the policies and judgments listed as cited are read from the published letter by Town Planner Pro and are our summary, not the Inspector’s words; the letter itself is the record. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Research, not advice.

In the app this decision sits on the map beside every appeal around it, with its letter to read and the main issues, policies and judgments cited picked out.