Tobias Ellwood: draw lines in sand for social distancing

Mr Ellwood suggested lines are drawn in the sand along the beach to encourage people visiting the beauty spot to adhere to social distancing rules.

He said: “Tourism is the lifeblood of our town and local economy.

“The quicker we design a new normal the better it will be for our way of life.

“We have to adapt to living with this threat and that means we continue to impede the virus but allowing our lives go back to some form of normality.

“What can we do to think outside the box and adapt to this new normal? That is what I am trying to encourage.”

BCP Council confirmed it would be reopening its carpark for visitors, but council leader, Vikki Slade, asked people to stay away from the county.

With potentially more people now flocking to Bournemouth beach, Mr Ellwood said the lines in the sand would be a reminder to everybody that they have a responsibility to socially distance themselves from others.

He continued: “I have seen tractors operating, they can make marks in the sand quite easily.

“It is up to those tractor companies to come up with their own solutions.

“Too often, people say ‘Ellwood has put forward this idea’. What I am trying to do is encourage ideas which could or could not work. Nobody has monopoly on ideas.”

Mr Ellwood said Britain is now in a “transition period”. He said there are far more complex rules people need to think about.

“We have this wonderful bit of real estate and we need to encourage people to spread further along the beach.

“You go to Castlepoint and they have people managing it. If the beach needs extra volunteers, then we can make that work.

“The bottom line is let’s have a can-do attitude, rather than destroying an operational idea.

“Really, all ideas should be considered and welcomed and if they can work then run with them.

“I am just encouraging, the same way we did 75 years ago. Let’s allow ourselves to adapt to a new normal.”