Cherries Kings Park plans deferred

AFC Bournemouth's plans to resurface and landscape the car/lorry park in Kings Park has been deferred by the Planning Board.

The proposal would have seen the large gravel car park, which has previously been used by travellers and fly-tippers, completely regenerated with resurfacing and landscaping.

The car park would then benefit from formal parking areas, rather than the current free-for-all, which causes mass-delays and congestion around Dean Court after a game.

Planning officer Barry Carse wrote in his report to Monday`s council planning board that...

"The new car park will replace the existing surface which has no formal parking layout.

"The application proposes the creation of a formal parking layout with access roads serving rows of parking spaces along with new landscaped areas."

"It will not detract from the open appearance of Kings Park and will result in a marked improvement compared with the appearance of the site at the present time.

But despite Planning officer Barry Carse backing the scheme, Bournemouth Councillor and Chairman Dorset Conservatives Nick King has been pushing for 'a better deal for local residents', when asked what he meant by this he posted on Twitter saying...

More parking- not the loss of >200 parking spaces which is what the plan proposes Better plan for parking for those displaced

At Monday's meeting at the Town Hall he brought up his concerns and the scheme was deferred pending further information, much to the dismay of AFC Bournemouth chairman Eddie Mitchell, who told afcb.co.uk that any delay to the proposal would put the scheme in jeopardy...

'We've been in negotiations over the car park for the past 12 months and have arranged funding which will last until the end of this month to the tune of £600,000...'

'...We have offered the council all the funds to improve the area - replicating the improvements we have made at the football club - and completed every obligation given to the football club by the council. With this in mind, I see no reason why what we have offered has been deferred.

'Unless the council give us approval by the end of the month they lose our funding, making our efforts to improve Kings Park for its residents a massive waste of time and energy...'

RednBlack Shack

Don't forget to keep checking the RednBlack Shack for great online deals and help to raise money for the AFC Bournemouth Youth Team.

It's easy to join Vital Bournemouth

Simply register with Vital Bournemouth and enjoy getting involved! (you can even win prizes just by having your say on the articles, polls and forums.)

Click here to join in the debate on the club forum.