Our posh seaside town is being turned into a rowdy Airbnb mecca by 'monstrous' eyesore keeping us 'hostage' in mansions

Yesterday at 10:31 AM

LOCALS say they’re fighting to stop their posh seaside town becoming a rowdy Airbnb mecca by a “monstrous” eyesore keeping them “hostage” in their mansions.

The well-heeled locals of Sandbanks, Dorset are battling to stop 15 luxury flat and a massive restaurant being developed on Millionaires’ Row in Poole Harbour.

But it is claimed it will lead to late night anti-social behaviour and traffic chaos that will prevent the millionaire residents from leaving their homes.

Several residents have clubbed together to hire a planning barrister to stop the “hideous and soul-less” development from being built.

The land in question is a harbourside boatyard owned by the Sandbanks Yacht Company.

They want to build a four-storey block of two and three bedroom flats and more than double the size of the modest restaurant on the site to one with over 100 covers.

There is no planned parking for the restaurant and locals fear this will lead to the “nightmare” scenario of the streets of Sandbanks being overrun with traffic and taxis constantly coming and going late into the night.

They are also concerned the flats will be used as Airbnb lets and attract rowdy hen and stag parties.

On Thursday, objections are due to descend on Bournemouth town hall for a planning committee meeting that will vote on the plans.

A BCP Council planning officer has recommended that councillors refuse the planning application but the objectors fear they will ignore this.

Bill Soper, an architect who lives opposite the development site, described the proposed development as “horrendous”.

He said: “I have written to the council directly expressing my concerns, shared by many of the residents, and the very real danger of this becoming a holiday lets or Airbnb establishment for stag or hen weekends to the detriment of residential amenity.

“From a layman’s perspective, the premise that this restaurant size is required to serve the boatyard beggars belief.

“We are most grateful that after considerable effort and time and legal expense on our part, that they have now correctly…recommended refusal.

“However, we are concerned that despite this that members might seek to overturn the officer’s recommendation as they have done previously on adjacent sites in the past.”

Celia Sawyer, the celebrity interior designer whose luxury waterside home will be just yards away from the complex, said: “The problem is it’s just too high, it’s a monstrosity, it would be obstructive.

“Plus the amount of traffic in the area is already solid in the summer, this will just cause even more congestion and queuing by being too many flats. They will also block the road I live in.”

George Murgatroyd said car congestion, taxi pick-ups, the increase in noise, light and traffic pollution, the size and hours of operation of the restaurant and the “rowdiness” of customers leaving at night were good reasons to refuse the application.

Sandbanks resident Frances Thomas said: “We have enough empty flats on Sandbanks, enough restaurants in the vicinity. I imagine the car parking situation will be a nightmare. The whole development is huge and hideous.”

Sara O’Reilly said: “The development is totally out of keeping with the character of this residential area. It is not a suitable location for a large restaurant with the inevitable additional late night noise, rowdy behaviour and road safety issues.”

She said the people of Sandbanks don’t wish to see it being turned into a “commercialized strip mall.”

Oliver Hunter-Smart said: “A development of this scale will significantly impact traffic flow.

“Traffic consistently backs up the length of Panorama Road. It results in emergency vehicles not having access, holding residents hostage on the peninsula as well as the excessive pollution. Adding the additional residential and restaurant traffic will lead to further traffic meltdown.”

Sandbanks resident Stephen O’Toole said: “The continued demolition and development of the buildings on the peninsula are turning the place in to a soul-less environment.”

In a statement, a planning agent acting on behalf of the applicants, Phoenix Spencer Ltd, said the new development would bring a lot of benefits to the area.

This would include new jobs and income to the local economy.

They said: “The character of the area continues to evolve with infill and redevelopment. New dwellings within the vicinity tend to be 3/4 storey in height and blocks of flats 4 storey in height.

“The proposed building is completely appropriate to the nature of the site.

“The proposals will result in an improvement to the street scene with a building of good design.

“The development will create significant employment in the construction industry over the course of the construction project.

“It will provide employment within the commercial operations being proposed. Additional residents within the area will contribute to the spend in local businesses and facilities and add to the local economy.

“The development will provide good quality and attractive homes in a sought-after location which will meet persons aspirations and thus

generate social well being. The additional residents will contribute to the local community.”