Winter Gardens site has been derelict for 10 years

Morgan Sindall and Bournemouth council have unveiled plans to rejuvenate the town’s famous Winter Gardens with a £150m mixed-use scheme.

The BrightSpace Architects-designed scheme will combine leisure, residential, restaurant and retail space with new parking facilities and an enhanced public realm.

The plans have been put forward by the Bournemouth Development Company, a town centre regeneration partnership between the council and Morgan Sindall Investments.

The initial concept designs include between 350 and 400 homes spread across four multi-storey buildings of varying heights set amid landscaped open areas for leisure and recreation.

 

Bournemouth Winter Gardens - concept by BrightSpark Architects

The scheme will be built in phases

 

Council leader John Beesley said: “The site is a key town centre location that has been waiting for rejuvenation for many years.

“The Winter Gardens project will be the largest of its kind ever undertaken in the town. Like any development of this scale, it will take a number of years to complete and is likely to be delivered in four distinct phases to ensure the project captures market demand.”

The Winter Gardens was originally a theatre but became best known as a rock music music venue in the 1960s and 70s with acts playing including Jimi Hendrix, Pink Floyd and David Bowie. The venue was closed in 2002 and demolished four years later. It has since been used as a car park.