Football manager Harry Redknapp has lost a bid to knock down a former hotel which after his plans for a new block of flats were rejected for a second time.
The former Tottenham Hotspur and Portsmouth boss had hoped to demolish the former Belgravia hotel, in Bournemouth, Dorset, and replace it with a four-storey block of flats, which would have left around 20 vulnerable homeless.
The building currently houses 24 bedsits and the move would have left residents, including those with disabilities and cancer sufferers, without a place to live.
Pierfront Developments, of which Harry and Sandra Redknapp, pictured, are directors, has failed in a bid to knock down a former hotel in Bournemouth and replace it with flats
The site is currently being used for 24 bedsits and residents, pictured, said 20 vulnerable people were at risk of being made homeless if the plans were granted
Residents at the property accused Redknapp of ‘walking over poor people’ to turn a profit.
It is the second application for the site by Pierfront Developments Ltd, which Redknapp and his wife Sandra are directors of, with the previous bid falling foul of heritage regulations.
The loss of the Victorian villa-style building was deemed to cause ‘substantial harm’ to the East Cliff Conservation Area.
The revised proposal reduced the scale from 32 to 21 mostly two-bedroom flats, with three houses replacing a detached former coaching house to the rear.
The second rejection came from a planning board on Monday, when one councillor criticized the plans describing the block as ‘soulless’.
Cllr Christopher Wakefield said: ‘Personally speaking I feel the new building compared to this one is soulless.
‘There has been stuff heading up to the sky around the town. Why can’t we keep some of our lovely old buildings.’
Board chairman David Kelsey echoed his comments, adding: ‘There are 21 people living in that building already. We would not be gaining a great deal of new accommodation.
Pictured: An artist’s impression of what the new block of flats would look like
Wendy Hunt, pictured centre, who runs the building with husband Gerry, said the council’s decision to reject the plans was ‘fantastic’
‘Where are those people supposed to go? It is their home.’
Wendy Hunt, 78, and her husband Gerry, 80, started running the Victorian building as a hotel almost 30 years ago.
But when Pierfront paid £1.25million for the freehold of the building in March last year Redknapp became the Hunts’ landlord.
The couple are among the people who would be made homeless if the plan was approved, along with their son who uses a wheelchair.
Mrs Hunt described the decision to reject the plans as ‘fantastic’ and said they now hope to apply for the lease to secure the building’s future for its residents.
She said: ‘We were under the impression the second application was to be heard next week so when we heard the news it was a fantastic shock.
‘The people who live here are settled, they really look after the place and are a pleasure to have around really.
Pierfront Developments bought the building, pictured, for £1.25million in March 2016
‘In the past few weeks I’ve seen it said that the bedsits were ‘low quality’ but I take exception to that as everyone here really tries to make them as nice as possible.
‘I’ve not spoken to the residents about the decision yet but I can imagine they’re delighted as it means they can stay here in their homes.
‘Speaking to my solicitor, we were told that if this second application failed, then we could apply for the lease here.
‘We’re hoping to get that done soon so we can secure our future in the building.’