Residents worry their idyllic seaside group is being taken over by Airbnbs with ‘noisy visitors staying in scorching tubs till 4am’ – as plans are revealed for much more vacation lets

Residents fear Airbnbs are ruining their idyllic seaside community after complaining of noisy guests staying in hot tubs until 4am.

Locals living near Southbourne Beach in Bournemouth, Dorset, believe the area has become overrun with holiday lets, which they claim are ruining the family-feel of the neighbourhood.

They have cited issues with noise often caused by people staying in their hot tubs until 4am as well as complaints over parking issues.

There are also concerns that proposals from a holiday home developer to build five new houses on a sought-after street close to the beach could entice more holiday makers to visit the quiet residential community. 

Burry and Knight Ltd, part of the Hoburne Holidays Group, want to demolish a run down bungalow and two-storey block of flats next to it and replace them with three four-bedroom detached houses and a pair of three-bedroom semi-detached homes.

The local council has received 13 objections with concerns also raised about a loss of light and privacy as well as overdevelopment and cramping of the plot.

Rita Gray, who lives opposite the proposed development said it would ‘impact our quality of life’ if the houses are used as holiday lets or Airbnbs, claiming some guests keep ‘unsociable hours’ and cause excessive parking problems.

Another neighbour, Sally Clark, said: ‘There are lots of Airbnbs in this area already. There are purpose-built ones being built at the bottom of the road.

‘It’s the noise disturbance, people staying there just don’t care, they will be in the hot tubs at 4am. They also cause parking problems.’ 

Residents living near Southbourne Beach (pictured) in Bournemouth, Dorset, fear Airbnbs are ruining their idyllic seaside community

Locals like Sally Clark (above) believe the area has become overrun with holiday lets

She continued: ‘This is a nice quiet, totally residential area, there are no businesses here. There’s no way the council would give permission for a hotel across the road so why would they allow Airbnbs?

‘We don’t need five properties there, its overdevelopment, and there are no other semi-detached houses in the street. Holiday accommodation needs to be in the right place.’

Neighbour Chris Evans lives next door to the site and is worried about the impact the large homes will have on his light and privacy.

He said: ‘The developers are cramming the properties onto the site and the spacing between them is inadequate.

‘I am concerned that the developers are in the holiday accommodation business and may plan to use these properties for short-term lets or even Airbnb type of accommodation.’

Morten Roepstorff added: ‘Unless restrictions against short term letting are imposed, we will lose more family homes to the short-term letting market.

‘Allowing short term letting on new developments sadly sets a precedent on future developments.

‘So many thriving villages in seaside locations have fallen foul of this as it reduces the requirements for local schools, shops, post offices year round, eventually destroying the local communities.’

There are also concerns that proposals from a holiday home developer to demolish two homes (above) on a sought after road and replace them with five new houses

Betty Drinkwater, whose bungalow is behind the site, said: ‘It would seem we are to be overshadowed and hemmed in by these buildings which will take away our outlook, privacy, sunlight and present quality of life.

‘These are large houses which will be unlikely to help the housing situation for residents of BCP but are more likely to be used as short term lets or Airbnb accommodation.’

Jack Taylor added that it looked ‘very overbearing’ and crammed together and said they needed to stop the ‘dangerous precedent’ for holiday lets. ‘Priority should be given to protecting the family feel of the area.’

If permission is granted many objectors are calling for a restriction to be included to prevent the new homes from being short-term holiday lets. 

Adrian Chilcott said a stipulation of the proposal, if granted approval, should state the houses ‘are not to be used for second homes, holiday lets or Airbnb.’

Sally Maidment agreed, saying: ‘I also have concerns regarding the potential for holiday lets and Airbnb, it should be a stipulation of planning that the houses cannot be used for this.’

‘This would help to maintain the sense of community for permanent residents,’ she added.  

‘I am concerned that the developers are in the holiday accommodation business and may plan to use these properties for short-term lets or even Air BnB type of accommodation,’ added Chris Evans. 

He said it would ‘ease the worries of neighbours’ if a condition were placed that they cannot be used in this way if plans are approved.  

Burry and Knight Ltd want to demolish replace the properties with three four-bedroom detached houses and a pair of three-bedroom semi-detached homes. Pictured: Concept designs of the proposed new homes

Planning consultant Jonathan Leigh said on behalf of the developer the rundown existing buildings, which are currently uninhabited, make ‘inefficient use’ of the plot and their condition means they do not make a positive contribution to the area.

He said they had paid particular attention to the concerns raised by the planning inspector and claimed the plans are ‘fully compliant and appropriate for redevelopment of this location’.

A decision is expected to be made by BCP Council planning officers in the near future.