A MAJOR set of council policies will lay the foundations for the future of the conurbation's award-winning beaches and seafront areas.

As reported, BCP Council has launched a consultation on its draft seafront strategy.

Once complete, it will provide a wide-range of key details which will shape investment and projects to improve coastal areas across Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole.

The strategy includes details on what is planned across the 18 'character areas' of seafront.

Below is an area-by-area breakdown of what the local authority has suggested, with the views of residents now being sought before progressing the strategy.

The beach and seafront areas are listed in east to west - Christchurch into Bournemouth and concluding with Poole.

Highcliffe Beaches

  • Maintaining the un-developed nature of this area
  • Provide facilities for informal water sports use such as showers and lockers
  • Develop concession licences for beach water sport activities

Avon & Friars Cliff Beaches

  • Enhancing cycle route connectivity across cliff top to Highcliffe
  • Review future management of the leisure operation at Avon Beach to ensure best value for the tax payer
  • Investment in public toilets
  • Improve parking arrangements
  • Exploring potential for additional day use beach huts at Friars Cliff
  • Enable more events and community activities at Friars Cliff common open space
  • Develop interpretation on former Radome radar site

Mudeford Quay & Gundimore Prom

  • Introduction of event site infrastructure and public realm improvements
  • Development of watersports provision
  • Exploring potential for development of local heritage interpretation and exhibition
  • Scope for further beach huts at Gundimore
  • Introduction of promenade lighting and additional public seating / cycle racks

Christchurch Harbour

  • Improving connectivity and wayfinding around the harbour sites for walkers and cyclists
  • Securing the long term future for the Hengistbury Head Outdoor Education Centre, improving connections to the wider harbour watersports offer
  • Continued close working with volunteers who manage and help maintain sites
  • Protect Stanpit Marsh from erosion

Mudeford Sandbank

  • Re-investment in public toilet and shower facilities
  • Re-investment in the jetty and public passenger boat services
  • Re-build of the Beach House café
  • Sustainable development of beach huts
  • Increase council ownership of the huts to enable wider use and drive income
  • Refurbishment of the Blackhouse

Coastal Nature Park (Hengistbury Head to western end of Southbourne Promenade)

  • Further investment and habitat enhancement and volunteering activities
  • Development of branding, education, wayfinding and interpretation for Coastal Nature Reserve Park
  • Upgrade existing beach huts with coordinated design
  • Low key opportunities to upgrade kiosk at Portman Ravine together with toilet block, perhaps incorporating community facilities for environmental learning, sea swimming and other wellness activities
  • Improve links to Fisherman’s Walk Gardens with new road crossing
  • New building at bottom of cliff lift incorporating educational and cultural uses and toilets Potential activities might include artist studio or changing / wellness / community space / beach sauna / beach goods shop
  • Bistro on the Beach site regeneration introducing a new year-round eco-destination offer incorporating restaurant, kiosk, toilets and overnight rental Beach Lodges

Central Beaches

  • Improved public realm along the promenade, particularly around key entry points where facilities are clustered, introducing promenade build-outs to facilitate additional facilities such as seating, cycle hoops, showers, planters, public art, bin presentation and seasonal pop-up kiosks / cafes
  • More prominent entrance building at the top of cliff lift to act as a beacon and aid wayfinding
  • Bournemouth Lifeguards re-development of the facilities at the base of West Cliff zig-zag into a lifeguard and community sports hub
  • Replacement of kiosk at the bottom of West Cliff Lift with new catering offer
  • Re-development of Happyland site with commercial, retail and leisure uses including possible hotel accommodation
  • Develop options to support a long-term vision for Bournemouth Pier
  • Links to wider future leisure regeneration of sites adjacent to Pier Approach and Bath Road i.e. the BIC, Court Royal, Waterfront, Bath Road North & South car parks and the Pavilion
  • Develop options for the future of the East Cliff lift site including upgrade to East Cliff promenade to establish a coherent Overcliff prom
  • Development of a seasonal cultural/retail offer within the cloister arches below Harry Ramsden’s
  • New two storey development opportunities for the former Bournemouth Beach Office with commercial, retail and leisure use
  • Reviewing future of the Undercliff Drive car park including alternative visions to introduce new leisure facilities, drawing visitors to this under-utilised section of the seafront
  • Improved access point to Toft zig-zag with material change at carriageway crossing including development of a beach fitness park facility
  • Options to develop a new wellness & beach sports hub on the site of the dilapidated surf school cabins at Toft Steps
  • Re-develop existing Prom at Boscombe café with new two-storey catering offer including replacement toilets and kiosk
  • Additional accessible beach huts to replicate existing adjacent facilities
  • Development of beach sport facilities and improved disabled access to the shoreline
  • Development of a cliff top café around Jon Egging Memorial, public realm and toilet block to west of East Cliff Lift
  • Coastal Garden planting at East Cliff zig-zag
  • Introduce series of demountable seasonal beach kiosks & cafes offering high quality varied produce between the piers
  • Review options for an all-weather upgrade of land train service linking to Boscombe High Street and the wider seafront

The Chines

  • Continued management of woodland and areas of biodiversity. Celebrating this landscape through improvements to interpretation and wayfinding
  • Improve safety by introducing street lighting where none currently exists
  • Upgrade and improve public toilet provision
  • New café and kiosk development where appropriate to improve the range and quality on offer, e.g. Canford Cliffs Pavilion site, Branksome Dene Chine & Middle Chine
  • Improvement to public realm along the promenade, particularly around the base of the Chines and cliff access points where facilities are clustered, introducing promenade build-outs to facilitate additional public facilities such as seating, cycle hoops, showers, planters, public art and seasonal pop-up kiosks where appropriate
  • Improve access to and connections across the promenade
  • Investment in beach huts with additional units and improved visual presentation
  • Regeneration of Alum Chine cloister site
  • Cliff top wayfinding trails including proposal for a tree top connecting cycle route across Durley & Middle Chine
  • Improve vehicle drop off points
  • Development and renewal of more natural play facilities within Chine areas and the beach
  • Replacement of community room facilities at Branksome Dene Chine with new multi-purpose facilities for leisure use and community hire and develop new watersports facilities
  • Consider options for introducing adrenaline activities such as tree top adventure experience or tobogganing within an appropriate Chine area
  • Consider development of further overnight short-stay holiday beach lodges

Shore Road

  • Regeneration of the Sandbanks and Harbour Heights hotel sites, supporting the visitor offer

Sandbanks Beach

  • New and reconfigured beach hut development including maximising double-fronted views of both beach and harbour
  • Development of a replacement facility for Sandbanks Pavilion
  • Creation of new leisure facilities and catering outlets as part of an expanded village offer
  • Erection of low rise decked car park coupled with electric charging points for vehicles
  • Partial redevelopment of the corporation yard to provide enhanced leisure or beach hut facilities
  • New equipped children’s play and refurbishment of crazy golf, potentially reoriented as part of an overall site masterplan
  • Sustaining and expansion of dune habitats, supported by ongoing beach re-nourishment as part of the Poole Bay Beach Management Scheme

Evening Hill to Sandbanks

  • Connectivity and wayfinding improvements to link Sandbanks with Poole Quay and beyond
  • Facilities for watersports users
  • Public realm improvements enhancing connection and access between the harbour and seafront at the junction of Shore Road

Harbourside Park

  • Masterplan development to improve local amenities and benefit wildlife, including improved walking and cycling infrastructure
  • Improved sports, catering & toilet facilities

Holes Bay

  • Improved wayfinding, cycle and walking links around Holes Bay, linking Upton Country Park and future redevelopment of the Power Station site with Poole Quay and the wider shoreline route to Sandbanks, working in conjunction with the Poole Bridge to Hunger Hill Tidal Defence Scheme
  • Ongoing investment in Upton Country Park, restoring and enhancing historic landscapes and developing new visitor and educational facilities which connects to the unique shoreline setting of the Grade II* Upton House
  • No active intervention in the north west corner of Holes Bay, allowing for the natural evolution of inter-tidal habitats
  • Restoration of salt-marsh habitat in the wider Holes Bay

Poole Port & Quay

  • Expansion of the marine leisure offer including cruise sector and marina facilities bringing footfall and spend to the town centre
  • Infrastructure growth and public realm improvements to better support year-round events along the Quay
  • Development of pop-up hospitality and creative/cultural offer along the Quay, along with revitalised visitor accommodation at the Fisherman’s Dock site

Hamworthy Beach

  • Proposals to restore the sea wall and protect amenities
  • Further public realm improvements to improve access along the waters edge
  • Maintain and develop the beach hut offer
  • Wayfinding and cycling route links to the current power station site, Poole Quay and town centre
  • Improvements to car park layout
  • Development of community events within the park

Lake Pier & Ham Common

  • Any proposals should be low key, in recognition that visitor numbers need to be managed at a low level to reduce impacts of erosion on the surrounding Ham Common nature reserve. The site should not be pro-actively promoted as part of the wider visitor offer
  • Efforts to save or rebuild the pier structure as a local landmark would be welcomed. Some low-key opportunities exist to celebrate the history of this site through interpretation
  • Potential to introduce a small-scale seasonal catering kiosk offer and public toilet improvements to serve the local community

Rockley Park

  • The importance of the holiday park and the educational benefits for the wider community of the activity centre
  • Facilities at Rockley, including the publicly accessible beach complements the broader destination leisure offer
  • The park owners are responsible for coastal defences, needed to ensure continued viability of the current leisure assets in conjunction with the wider Shoreline Management Plan and the Local Nature Reserve designation at Ham Common.

Hamworthy – Turlin Moor

  • Proposals within the Council’s emerging Green Infrastructure Strategy to develop wayfinding and a cycle network connecting Turlin Moor to Sandbanks, via Holes Bay
  • Proposals to ‘hold the line’ and protect the coastline and residential development in this area