Plan to demolish Christchurch Emporium for flats and offices
A POPULAR Christchurch warehouse full of stalls selling crafts, antiques and vintage goods could be demolished to make way for a four-storey development of offices and flats.
Avon Works in Bridge Street, known as The Emporium, hosts dozens of traders offering everything from retro clothing to wooden rocking horses.
But an outline planning proposal to BCP Council by Mostyn Levein would, if approved, see the existing building torn down to provide more than 620 square metres of office space and 40 apartments.
The response to the A&T by a trader at the Emporium was: “We’re not going anywhere.”
The man, who wanted to stay anonymous, added: “They’ve been trying this for years but they won’t get anywhere with it and we’re not going anywhere.
“The company which owns the building want to build flats in its place but I can’t see them getting permission.
“This is a very successful and popular place. People come from all over to visit here.
“There would be a lot of upset traders and customers if this place closed down.”
The venue, which also hosts a cafe, has been described by fans as an “Aladdin’s cave” and offers small-scale artisans a place to seel their wares.
The replacement designs for the nearly-half-hectare site show an L-shape building hosting 18 one-bedroom flats, 21 two-bedroom, and one three-bedroom. There would also be 50 car parking spaces and a bike store.
The application said: “The proposal presents a sustainable form of development, contributing to the economic, social and environmental wellbeing of Christchurch.”
It argued it “would make more efficient use of urban land” as well as providing “modern, fit-for-purpose residential and commercial accommodation”.
The design was “appropriate to the locality”, it said, and had been “carefully conceived to avoid harm to neighbour amenity and ensure that a comfortable relationship subsists”.
The plans said the new construction would play a “key role” in achieving BCP
Council’s “town centre vision” as a place to shop, participate in leisure activities and “enjoy culture”.
BCP Council is expected to make a decision after the deadline for public comments on 10th March.
