Published on Tuesday 23 January 2024
Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP) Council continues to prioritise its commitment to improve Bournemouth town centre.
Since it hosted the successful Town Centre Summit nine weeks ago, BCP Council has been working hard with its partners to deliver and enable positive change for the town centre.
Following public feedback received in the council’s Town Centre Survey, which helped to clarify what people want to see improved in the town, and further issues raised at the Summit, concerns are now being actioned with our communities and partners.
Areas where residents and businesses requested improvement include cleansing, parking enforcement, enabling the commercial use of empty premises and organising days of action.
Since the Summit, the council has prioritised improvements in these specific areas, working with Bournemouth Town Centre Business Improvement District (BID) to paint lampposts, undertake manual weed treatment, remove fallen leaves, wash down litter bins and remove stickers and graffiti. We are continuing to work with business owners to understand how we can best support their operations.
Our Parking Enforcement team has been undertaking additional targeted patrols in key areas across the town centre, including Old Christchurch Road, working to increase road safety and improve journey times.
During three, six-hour targeted patrols earlier this month, 111 Penalty Charge Notice’s (PCN’s) were issued, and a large number of vehicles moved on for being illegally parked. The council will continue to work alongside Dorset Police to enforce this for the benefit of residents and businesses.
The council is working closely with takeaway businesses and delivery drivers on Old Christchurch Road, who we understand may need to park outside shops and restaurants temporarily to collect goods, to establish how they can operate without parking illegally.
Earlier this month, Councillor Vikki Slade, Leader of BCP Council, worked with these teams on the ground to see the targeted action being taken in these priority areas.
Councillor Slade said: “The council continues to prioritise Bournemouth town centre, not just with words, but with action.
“I have seen first-hand the amazing work carried out by officers in our parking and cleansing services. I’ve been able to see what our street cleansing operatives face at 4am every day of the week and witness how challenging parking enforcement can be in a busy town centre close to midnight on a Saturday.
“I’m encouraged by the work already being done to improve these aspects of Bournemouth town centre, but I know there is still lots to be done.
“I have been clear from the outset that BCP Council can’t do this alone. We simply do not have the funds to deliver all of the improvements that were captured in the Town Centre Survey, it must be a shared effort.
“I would like to take this opportunity to reiterate my commitment to do all we can to remove the barriers and bureaucracy to empower our communities to do more in the town centre."
BCP Council recently published the results of its Town Centre Survey, which are informing its priorities moving forward and reflect the need for change in these areas. You can view the results by visiting: https://haveyoursay.bcpcouncil.gov.uk/btc
The council is facilitating the next ‘Day of Action’ with the support of its partners on Wednesday 24 January; the first in a series of three already planned throughout January, February and March.
An engagement stand will be based outside NatWest bank in Bournemouth Square between 11am and 3pm, with residents and volunteers urged to come along and engage with representatives from our teams and partners to discuss the work they do, the value of it and our priorities for improving the town centre. The event can also act as an opportunity to share feedback, ask questions and propose new ideas.
This follows two previously successful ‘Day of Action’ events last year, which provided effective opportunities for the council to engage with residents, give updates on positive action, understand their concerns and collect valuable feedback.
The most recent, which took place on 29 September 2023, was focused on safety in the nighttime economy after the council identified and acted upon public concern. Town Team, a multi-agency group including BCP Council and CSAS (Community Safety Accreditation Scheme) Officers, members of Dorset Police and St Mungo’s, which was set up as a product of community engagement, has since continued to drive marked change.
In October, Dorset also received over £750,000 after a successful bid was made to the Home Office’s Safer Streets Fund. This money will be used to implement a number of initiatives aimed at improving safety in Bournemouth, including the addition of new CCTV cameras on Horseshoe Common and West Hill.
Officers from the council’s CSAS, Licensing, Trading Standards, Parking Enforcement, Economic Development and Environmental Health teams will all be involved in this upcoming ‘Day of Action’, with the event also be supported by Dorset Police and representatives from Bournemouth Town Centre BID.
BCP Council recognises that empty shops within the town centre are a cause of concern. The Summit enabled businesses to clearly tell us what was hampering them and others from progressing with activity, citing a want for greater flexibility on the size of flats and building heights, and an increased need for co-living spaces.
Prioritising this valuable feedback, the council took action in its new Draft Local Plan, which allows for a better range of housing within the town centre through amending building height and housing mix policy. This helps to provide developers with greater flexibility, encouraging development which will positively benefit the locality and its people.
Our Economic Development team has already begun work to encourage commercial activity in key vacant premises; drawing up a list of suitable brands and businesses with which to make contact and discuss future investment in the town centre.
The team will continue to work alongside Bournemouth Town Centre BID, understanding and investigating how it can further boost and support business.
Late last year, the council worked closely with Bournemouth Coastal BID to deliver the much-anticipated Christmas Tree Wonderland event, which later saw more than five million people visit the town centre throughout November and December.
Bournemouth Town Centre BID helped to facilitate Christmas lights which lit up various locations across the town, including the Lower Gardens and Horseshoe Common, while fun Christmas projections were cast onto shops, restaurants and buildings.
The council is not only bringing forward improvements with action but is working with partners to ensure momentum is kept up on the commitments made at the Town Centre Summit.
Targeted Delivery Teams are being created to look at specific focus areas of the town and the progress of this work will be shared in the coming months.
Editor Notes:
Read more about the Bournemouth Town Centre Summit: Successful Summit provides boost for Bournemouth town centre | BCP (bcpcouncil.gov.uk)
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