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A construction firm has submitted plans for the second phase of a £15m affordable housing scheme in Poole, Dorset.

Local housebuilder AJC Group has already broken ground on the site at Lindsay Road within the coastal district of Branksome Park.

The first phase of the project, which is being delivered for housing provider Abri, comprises 28 two-bedroom apartments, which will be made available to purchase via shared ownership, with the first homes ready for occupation in 2024.

The firm has now lodged an application to build an additional three-storey block of one- and two-bedroom flats on the 0.6-acre brownfield site within the Branksome Park and Chine Conservation Area.

AJC bosses said that all 44 of the homes within the combined project would be “100% affordable housing”, to help local people who “couldn’t otherwise get a foothold” on the property ladder.

Director David Cracklen said Bournemouth Christchurch and Poole Council currently stipulates all developments with more than 11 new homes must have a 40% affordable housing allocation.

Mr Cracklen said: “With Branksome Park being one of the most desirable places to live across the whole of Dorset, the need for affordable housing is far greater.

“Local people want to live in the community they grew up in, with a choice of high-quality homes that provide a route to home ownership. These well-specified homes are likely to appeal to key workers who are vital to the local community and the economy.”