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Branksome Park
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Branksome Park is a suburb of Poole in Dorset, which adjoins Branksome, Dorset. The area covers approximately 360 acres, mostly occupied by housing, and includes Branksome Chine which leads to the award-winning blue-flagged beaches of Poole.
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Branksome Park is one of Poole's most affluent areas alongside Sandbanks, Canford Cliffs, Evening Hill, Lilliput, and Salterns Marina. It is on the border of Poole, with Bournemouth being on the other side of The Avenue. It is less than two miles from the shopping areas of Westbourne and The Square in the centre of Bournemouth.
House prices vary widely in the area; there are small 1960s flats costing just under £200,000 and mansions costing well over £3 million. A new mansion called Sleon House, with 12,000 square feet of living accommodation, was recently built with a price tag of £5,250,000. The area is a contrast to neighbouring Sandbanks, whilst although being vaffluent, the community is not focused towards developmemt based around the beach; there are very few properties directly on the waterfront. Instead most of the residential zone of Branksome park is inland.
Demographically a large percentage of the elderly people live in the area (Poole Town and Parkstone also have a high percentage). The population of elderly people (mainly over 85) in the area is expected to rise even more by 2025.
Local facilities include a sports area with tennis courts and a bowling field. Branksome park also has a small public library and is home to the All Saints Church constructed in 1877, and a school for disabled children which is located on the outskirts of the area.
Branksome Park has seen much residential development in recent years. However, the styles of new buildings remain much less controversial than other places such as Sandbanks. However, the architect Eddie Mitchell (owner of Seven Developments), received planning permission and has recently finished construction of a controversial building development known as the 'Thunderbird' which is a 6,000 square foot residential development. The building has also received many awards, making it one of the best-known residential buildings of Dorset. Because the style and architecture of existing housing stock is much older, new plans for developments must fit in with existing properties and styles. According to the rules on development in Branksome Park, one can only build more than one property on a plot that is 3/4 of an acre or larger. In 2006, two large Victorian houses were demolished to make way for a controversial new housing development with 21 three storey homes.
On 10 June 2005, the UK mobile phone company Orange asked Poole council for permission to place a mobile phone mast in the junction of Western Avenue and Bury Road. Five days later, Vodafone applied to place additional masts in Branksome Park (by Cerne Abbas), Canford Cliffs, Lower Parkstone and Lilliput. Vodafone asked if they could install two 20 metre high phone masts. However the idea of having one by Cerne Abbas was withdrawn, and the remaining masts in the area were rejected, after public opposition to the scheme intensified.
A noted resident of Branksome Park was Wilfred Rhodes, who died there. Queen Elizabeth I had a house in Branksome Park called Cerne Abbas (named after the historic village in Dorset), which was later turned into a retirement home for war veterans. This building has now been demolished. Other people who have resided in Branksome Park include Bob Monkhouse, Max Bygraves, J. R. R. Tolkien, Mantovani, Tony Blackburn and Tom Jones.