- Office
- DH Group, The Old Echo Print Room, 18 Albert Road, Bournemouth BH1 1BZ
- Planning authority
- BCP Council, with appeals to the Planning Inspectorate
- Fixed fees
- From £500. Planning appeals £500 to £1,000
- Phone
- 01202 767111
- Opening hours
- Monday to Thursday, 9am to 5pm. Friday, 9am to 4pm
Figures checked against official sources on 15 September 2026.
Planning work in Bournemouth
Applications in Bournemouth are decided by BCP Council, which has been the local planning authority for Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole since 1 April 2019. We prepare the forms, the planning statement and the supporting material, submit through the Planning Portal, and deal with the case officer until the decision lands. Appeals against BCP Council decisions go to the Planning Inspectorate, which is independent of the Council.
Bournemouth schemes often turn on character, neighbour amenity, parking and trees as much as the principle of development. Coastal and cliff-top sites can add stability, drainage and design scrutiny.
The Bournemouth Local Plan still applies
Applications here are decided against the Bournemouth Core Strategy (2012), the Bournemouth Town Centre Area Action Plan (2013), the Affordable Housing Development Plan Document (2009) and saved policies from the 2002 District Wide Local Plan. BCP Council started work on a new Local Plan in 2025, after the examination of its 2024 draft.
Heathland and New Forest mitigation for new homes
Nearly all development sites in the BCP area are within 5km of protected Dorset heathland. New homes within 400 metres of a heath are strictly controlled. Between 400 metres and 5km, each new home pays towards mitigation.
- £550 per house and £376 per flat for heathland access management, from 1 April 2026, plus an admin fee of 5% or at least £75
- £300 per home within 13.8km of the New Forest protected sites, secured by a legal agreement
- Heathland infrastructure projects funded through the Community Infrastructure Levy
These charges apply where a scheme adds homes, such as new dwellings and flat conversions, not to an extension of your own house.
Houses in multiple occupation
An Article 4 direction has covered the whole Bournemouth area since December 2011. Turning a house into a small house in multiple occupation, shared by 3 to 6 unrelated people, needs planning permission here, although it is permitted development in many other places. Our change of use page explains the use classes.
Conservation areas
Bournemouth's conservation areas include Boscombe Manor, Boscombe Spa, Churchill Gardens, Dean Park, East Cliff, Holdenhurst Village, Knole Road, Meyrick Park and Talbot Woods, Muscliff Lane, Old Christchurch Road, Southbourne Grove, Westbourne and Wick. Permitted development rights are reduced inside them, and applications must explain the effect on the area's character, usually in a heritage statement.
Flats and conversions
Flats have no householder permitted development rights, so most external changes to a flat need a full planning application. Converting a house into flats needs planning permission, heathland mitigation for each new home and parking in line with the BCP Parking Standards.
What usually decides cases here
- Design and character in established suburban streets and town-centre edges
- Amenity, overlooking and garden depth on tight plots
- Parking standards and highway comments on constrained sites
- Trees, tree preservation orders and landscaping conditions
- Flood risk, coastal and cliff constraints where mapped
- Conservation areas and heritage settings
Services for Bournemouth clients
Planning consultancy only, for homeowners, builders and developers. One qualified and experienced planning consultant runs each case, backed by thirty years of experience at local authority and private practice.
- Householder applications for extensions, loft conversions, garden rooms and annexes
- Full applications for new homes, flat conversions and developments
- Change of use, including houses in multiple occupation under the Article 4 direction
- Lawful development certificates and prior approval
- Planning appeals against BCP Council refusals, conditions and non-determination, and enforcement notice appeals
Householder applications from £500. Small full applications from £1,000. Written procedure appeals £500 to £1,000. Council fees are separate. Every quote is confirmed in writing before work starts.
Areas we cover
From the office on Albert Road we work across Bournemouth, including:
- Boscombe
- Charminster
- East Cliff
- Ensbury Park
- Holdenhurst
- Iford
- Kinson
- Littledown
- Moordown
- Muscliff
- Northbourne
- Pokesdown
- Queen's Park
- Redhill
- Southbourne
- Springbourne
- Strouden Park
- Talbot Woods
- Throop
- Tuckton
- Wallisdown
- Westbourne
- West Cliff
- Winton
We also cover Poole and Christchurch under BCP Council, Dorset Council, the New Forest and the rest of England. See all areas we cover.
Our Bournemouth office
DH Group, The Old Echo Print Room, 18 Albert Road, Bournemouth, Dorset BH1 1BZ. Open the office in Google Maps.
We are based in BH1, so meetings by video or phone are the default, with a site visit only where it strengthens the case. Photos, measurements and existing drawings are usually enough to start, and BCP Council's records fill in the planning history.
Sources: BCP Council, Local Plan for the Bournemouth area, developer contributions, houses in multiple occupation, conservation areas and new Local Plan announcement.