A major new office development in Bournemouth has been given the go-ahead by local planners – three years after it originally gained planning permission.

The Troika Development was given planning consent for the construction of 25,000 sq m of B1 office space following a public inquiry in 2007, but with a three-year lifespan attached to the permission.

The developers failed to build in that time and were required to resubmit their application this year.

Despite local concerns about the large development in Riverside Avenue, which counts the Royal Bournemouth Hospital and a nursing home amongst its neighbours, a planning board at Bournemouth Council has given the green light to the scheme.

One elderly resident of the nearby nursing home voiced his disappointment at the decision in the local paper, the Bournemouth Echo. He said:

“We are very disappointed. We are going to be surrounded by four-storey buildings. At the moment we appear to live in beautiful countryside.”

The developers also have existing planning consent for a large Park and Ride site adjacent to the prospective offices.