CIVIC chiefs have approved an outline application to transform a derelict "dumping ground" near a Southampton station by building almost 50 apartments.
The city council has supported a proposal to construct a six-storey block of flats at the junction of Horseshoe Bridge and Drummond Drive in Portswood.
A more detailed application will also have to be approved by the council before work can start on the site, which is near St Denys station.
As reported in the Daily Echo, supporters of the scheme hope the resulting influx of residents will make the area safer by deterring crime, anti-social behaviour, and fly-tipping.
The council received several letters praising the application after it was submitted last summer.
Ibrahim Sen, of Crabwood Close, Southampton, said: "The road leading down to the site is a dumping ground for waste and at night can be quite scary walking through.
"The proposed development will provide much-needed investment in this part of Portswood and can only be a good thing."
READ MORE: Plan to build 47 apartments on land at Horseshoe Bridge, Portswood
Gerry Roberts, of Empress Road, added: "This will bring better lighting and security to the area, which sadly suffers from certain nighttime activities and anti-social behaviour."
Nigel Barnes-Evans, of Avenue Road, also voiced support for the scheme.
"Development of this site will improve the local area and make it safer for people walking to and from the station.
"It should also reduce the amount of fly-tipping," he said.
Plans to construct 16 apartments on the land were approved by the city council several years ago.
But the applicant, Saeed Poswall, submitted a proposal to provide 47 homes on the same site last August.
The application said: "This latest scheme, although larger, seeks to provide a more deliverable project, accommodating a greater mix of residential units in an effective and efficient manner.
"The approved scheme is unviable and undeliverable in light of the current market, and rising build costs."
The statement cited the large number of high-rise buildings that have already been approved in the city and their importance in kick-starting the regeneration of sites.
READ MORE: Horseshoe Bridge homes proposal supported by people living in the area
Mr Poswall is seeking consent to provide ten one-bedroom flats and 37 two-bedroom apartments, plus 36 parking bays and space for up to 85 bicycles.
The application said the scheme was "fully in accordance" with local and national planning policies".
It added: "The existing [approved] scheme is not viable and by definition no longer deliverable in the current residential market and with rising construction costs."
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