Bobby’s & Co Bournemouth
Bobby’s & Co comprises an existing five storey purpose-built department store originating from around 1890. Bobby & Co arrived in Bournemouth in 1915 acquiring the Lawrence the Chemist building (built 1897) and a site previously owned by Leverett and Frye grocers between 1872 and 1913. In 1935, Bobby & Co expanded buying the Stour Vale Dairy building next door. Bobby & Co was eventually sold to Debenhams in 1972. Sandstone Ltd and Verve Properties Ltd acquired the property late 2019 and following the collapse of Debenhams in May 2021, have breathed new life into the building and have reinstated the Bobby’s and Co history.
PowerHaus Consultancy were instructed to provide planning and heritage advice for the emerging proposals. Permission has been granted for the use of Class E to enable a flexible range of uses including retail, restaurants, bars, exhibition space, offices to ensure the building can respond to the changing commercial needs of the town centre. Consent has also been secured for a number of enhancements and alterations to the existing building, including advertising and shopfront designs.
The alterations have significantly revitalised the contribution the existing building makes to the character of Bournemouth town centre. The removal of unsympathetic 20th Century additions and the reinstatement of features that reflect the original Victorian/ Edwardian character of the building, contribute to the wider setting of the adjacent conservation area, the locally listed building within its prime town centre location.
