ERIC Pickles praised entrepreneurs and community champions for their efforts to transform Boscombe’s seafront.

Following a tour of the regenerated area, accompanied by Bournemouth council officials, the minister said: “Seeing how they have transformed the seafront for themselves is further evidence to me that Whitehall needs to get out of the way and trust people to get on with things themselves.

“Too much power has been sucked out of communities into Westminster eroding trust in politics and sapping responsibility and initiative with stifling bureaucracy.”

He added: “It is clear from what I am seeing here today in Boscombe that there are local people who want to have the freedom and power to change things for the better in their area.”

After a walk along the wind-swept pier with members of his ministerial team and a visit to a Wayne Hemmingway-designed beach pod, Mr Pickles said: “I’m terrifically impressed by what I’ve seen and when I go back to London that’s what I’m going to remember.

“I remember Boscombe being a dreadful place, it’s come full circle.

“I know there are still derelict and deprived areas but this will have a knock-on effort and start to pull things around. You can’t expect things to change overnight.

“What’s happening here shows that decline is not inevitable – it can be reversed.

“I would compare it to works that have taken place along the canal in Birmingham and what has happened in central Manchester; two areas which were very run down.

“Every year Boscombe will probably get a bit better.

“It’s positive and I will be leaving with happy memories.”