Bournemouth International Centre (BIC) and the Pavilion

Family friendly redesign of Pavilion project

THE proposed development adjacent to Bournemouth Pavilion has been made more family friendly with a 16 per cent reduction in the size of the casino.

The project, approved by Bournemouth Council before May’s elections, has been modified following negotiations with the new Conservative administration and the Trevor Osborne Property Group.

New plans drawn up for the North Bath Road Car Park have brought a significant reduction in the floor area of the casino. The area devoted to gambling has been reduced. They’ve also introduced rooftop walkways and new outdoor terraces.

Leader of the Council Cllr Stephen MacLoughlin said: "We are making progress in our negotiations with the Trevor Osborne Property Group. Their proposed changes are more in line with residents’ desires for family-friendly attractions in Bournemouth."

The planned casino for the ground floor now covers 38,093 sq ft, of which 14,900 sq ft will be gaming area.

Trevor Osborne said: “Public attention on our proposals has been focused on the casino, but this is now primarily a family-friendly, leisure project.

As a result of the very detailed negotiations with Bournemouth Council, we have been able to reduce the size of the casino. It now forms a very small percentage of the overall development. The emphasis has changed to providing Bournemouth with a variety of new quality restaurants, retail outlets and gardens, and in renovating the historic Pavilion.

The Pavilion scheme will become a magnet to tourists and Bournemouth residents and something of which the town can be proud Our proposals will boost the towns cultural and entertainment offer so that Pavilion’s once glamorous image is restored."

The project now features more outside performance space, an ‘interval court’ adjoining the Pavilion and a stunning roof park with sea views. Further aspects remain in negotiation which the Council and the Developer expect to announce before the year end.

As a condition of the redevelopment, TOPG has agreed to allocate a minimum of £13million to restoring Bournemouth Pavilion to its original 1920s grandeur whilst improving the infrastructure, which is much needed to improve the acoustics and audience comfort.