Oakdale Adult Education Centre Site - Phase 2

Oakdale Adult Education Centre

In November 2020, the BCP Cabinet decided to repurpose the existing Adult Education Centre (AEC) site for housing development. During the summer of 2022, we conducted public engagement to gather feedback on using the site for an extra care housing scheme. We believe the Oakdale site is an excellent location for this type of housing, as it is conveniently close to many local shops and services, including a library, GP service, hairdressers, and pharmacy.

Extra-care housing is a type of housing which allows people to live in self-contained homes but there is support on site to provide care for residents and support with domestic tasks and offers social and community support. It offers more support than sheltered housing but still allows you to live independently. Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole currently has a limited number of extra-care housing schemes and with our aging population more of these types of homes are needed in the local area.

The extra care housing scheme will include

  • 57 x 1 Bed 2 Person Flats
  • 3 x 2 Bed 3 Person Flats
  • 11 x 2 Bed 4 Person Houses
  • A café which will be open to members of the public
  • A bookable shared community space

We included a café and community space based on your feedback from our 2022 engagement. Access to these public facilities would be available directly through the rear of the building via the recreation park, which will not be impacted as part of the development.

We are still in the early stages of this project and want to keep you informed about our current plans. We invite you to complete a brief survey which seeks your views on the scheme.

Draft plans for the extra care housing scheme are available to view online here and you can view an outline of the area covered by the scheme here.

Drop in events
In addition to the online survey, plans and feedback forms will be available at the Oakdale Library, Wimborne Road, Poole BH15 3EF from Friday 14 March to Monday 7 April.

We are also holding drop in events, where you will be able to ask questions, at St Georges Church, Darbys Lane, Oakdale, Poole BH15 3EU on the following dates:

  • Wednesday 26 March between 7pm and 9.30pm
  • Monday 31 March between 3pm and 6pm


Background information
The future of the centre has previously been discussed by the Borough of Poole because of the deteriorating condition of the AEC building. The building was no longer fit for purpose and required almost £1 million to renovate it so that it was a safe facility.

Borough of Poole (BoP)
2018 In November 2018 BoP Local Plan(External link) was formally adopted and the site was allocated for housing purposes subject to a reprovision of the Adult Education Service.

2018/19 BoP commissioned business case work to explore options for a new AE resource centre alongside housing development that would help to subsidise the cost of the new resource centre.

BCP Council
2019 The business case was reviewed by the Director Strategy Group and then referred to Change Management Board and it was agreed that the cost of a new AE resource centre wasn’t affordable and as the council’s had very recently merged, alternative sites should be looked at to relocate the service and the vacant site should be used for housing.

2020 BCP Cabinet made a decision that the Adult Education Centre (AEC) in Oakdale should be relocated to the Dolphin Centre in Poole Town Centre and that the Oakdale site should be used to deliver housing.

2022 The Covid 19 pandemic has caused significant delays on the refurbishment work required at the Dolphin Centre to accommodate the relocation however this is now almost complete, and the Adult Education services is due to become operational at the Dolphin Centre in Sept 2022.

2023 Tender process took place and MH Architects were appointed along with a number of commissioned surveys to help inform the design.

2024 Pre planning application of plans submitted in summer 2024.

In November 2020, the BCP Cabinet decided to repurpose the existing Adult Education Centre (AEC) site for housing development. During the summer of 2022, we conducted public engagement to gather feedback on using the site for an extra care housing scheme. We believe the Oakdale site is an excellent location for this type of housing, as it is conveniently close to many local shops and services, including a library, GP service, hairdressers, and pharmacy.

Extra-care housing is a type of housing which allows people to live in self-contained homes but there is support on site to provide care for residents and support with domestic tasks and offers social and community support. It offers more support than sheltered housing but still allows you to live independently. Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole currently has a limited number of extra-care housing schemes and with our aging population more of these types of homes are needed in the local area.

The extra care housing scheme will include

  • 57 x 1 Bed 2 Person Flats
  • 3 x 2 Bed 3 Person Flats
  • 11 x 2 Bed 4 Person Houses
  • A café which will be open to members of the public
  • A bookable shared community space

We included a café and community space based on your feedback from our 2022 engagement. Access to these public facilities would be available directly through the rear of the building via the recreation park, which will not be impacted as part of the development.

We are still in the early stages of this project and want to keep you informed about our current plans. We invite you to complete a brief survey which seeks your views on the scheme.

Draft plans for the extra care housing scheme are available to view online here and you can view an outline of the area covered by the scheme here.

Drop in events
In addition to the online survey, plans and feedback forms will be available at the Oakdale Library, Wimborne Road, Poole BH15 3EF from Friday 14 March to Monday 7 April.

We are also holding drop in events, where you will be able to ask questions, at St Georges Church, Darbys Lane, Oakdale, Poole BH15 3EU on the following dates:

  • Wednesday 26 March between 7pm and 9.30pm
  • Monday 31 March between 3pm and 6pm


Background information
The future of the centre has previously been discussed by the Borough of Poole because of the deteriorating condition of the AEC building. The building was no longer fit for purpose and required almost £1 million to renovate it so that it was a safe facility.

Borough of Poole (BoP)
2018 In November 2018 BoP Local Plan(External link) was formally adopted and the site was allocated for housing purposes subject to a reprovision of the Adult Education Service.

2018/19 BoP commissioned business case work to explore options for a new AE resource centre alongside housing development that would help to subsidise the cost of the new resource centre.

BCP Council
2019 The business case was reviewed by the Director Strategy Group and then referred to Change Management Board and it was agreed that the cost of a new AE resource centre wasn’t affordable and as the council’s had very recently merged, alternative sites should be looked at to relocate the service and the vacant site should be used for housing.

2020 BCP Cabinet made a decision that the Adult Education Centre (AEC) in Oakdale should be relocated to the Dolphin Centre in Poole Town Centre and that the Oakdale site should be used to deliver housing.

2022 The Covid 19 pandemic has caused significant delays on the refurbishment work required at the Dolphin Centre to accommodate the relocation however this is now almost complete, and the Adult Education services is due to become operational at the Dolphin Centre in Sept 2022.

2023 Tender process took place and MH Architects were appointed along with a number of commissioned surveys to help inform the design.

2024 Pre planning application of plans submitted in summer 2024.

  • Oakdale Adult Education Centre - Phase 2

    We believe that the Oakdale site is a great location to provide extra care housing. It is close to many local shops and services including a library, GP service, hairdressers and pharmacy. 

    We are at the early stages of this project and would like to learn what you think and receive any comments you have at this stage.

    Thank you. 






    Take Survey
Page last updated: 17 Mar 2025, 03:53 PM