Council agrees to buy former power station site

Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP) Council is set to buy a former power station site in order to kickstart long-running regeneration plans.

The council’s cabinet is due to meet online tomorrow (27 May) to discuss approving the purchase of the 40-acre site in Hamworthy, Poole.

The council has reached an agreement in principle to acquire the brownfield site on Holes Bay with the landowners, L&Q Estates and Land Improvements Holdings.

The site has been vacant for more than 20 years and has been earmarked to deliver at least 830 new homes in the local Pplan and will help meet the council’s target from central government of 2,500 new build homes a year, as well as provide jobs and commercial opportunities.

‘Regeneration of the former power station site on Holes Bay was a key objective of Poole Council for many years,’ said the council’s cabinet member for regeneration and culture, Cllr Mark Howell.

‘Control of the site will give the council the opportunity to deliver a new community which is economically, environmentally and socially sustainable.

‘Regeneration of the site will also contribute to the revitalisation of Poole town centre and Hamworthy’s local centre, and strengthen Poole’s tourism offer,’ added Cllr Howell.

The cost of purchasing the land has been made possible following a successful £5 million local growth fund investment from Dorset Local Enterprise Partnership granted to the council in January this year.

The council’s cabinet member for housing, Cllr Kieron Wilson, added: ’Developing vacant sites like Holes Bay is absolutely key in helping the council meet its increased housing target.

‘We have unmet housing needs so any site that can provide a minimum of 830 homes is much welcomed.

‘However, it’s more than just the numbers: we have the opportunity to build high quality, sustainable housing, which can be an exemplar nationally, in line with our agenda to tackle the climate and ecological emergency. I’m delighted that we now have a proposal to bring this site forward.’

Photo Credit – 3844328 (Pixabay)