THE chairman of Boscombe Traders’ Association is warning that Boscombe could lose out on £455,000 of government cash if it fails to deliver on a project to revamp the seafront.

Steve Kent says Bournemouth council has failed to deliver important elements of the Sea Change project on time, including creative lighting linking Sea Road and Boscombe Precinct, improved disabled toilets and enhanced wheelchair access to the seafront.

Mr Kent said the money could be lost if the project is not completed by March 31 and demanded to know how and when it would be completed at a recent Bournemouth full council meeting. He added that he was unhappy after being informed that The Stakeholders Group, of which he is a member, will no longer be consulted about the Sea Change project.

He said: “We are not going to walk away now after all the hard work.

“They are supposed to consult with the community. That was the arrangement. Now, because they haven’t done what they said they were going to, they need to rush this through.”

In a written reply to Mr Kent’s deputation, Bournemouth council said that some delays had been caused due to the “overwhelming and unforeseen success” of its accessible beach design competition and the completion timetable had to be revised.

However deputy leader of Bournemouth council John Beesley said that the council was “fully confident” that all elements of the project would be delivered.

He said: “I refute the claims made by Mr Kent that important elements of the Sea Change project are not being delivered.

“We are working closely with local groups, including disability groups, to ensure that we meet the needs of the whole community. Sea Change is about restoring pride in our much-loved resort.”

Cathy Page, Sea Change programme manager for CABE, said they were confident that Bournemouth council would continue to deliver elements of the project in an “exemplary way”.