CHANGING perceptions and taking residents on the “journey” is key to the regeneration of Bournemouth town centre, according to the deputy leader of BCP Council.
Cllr Philip Broadhead said strong footfall figures and progress on redevelopment projects for key sites was cause for optimism.
The portfolio holder for development, growth and regeneration told the Daily Echo: “Bournemouth town centre is a really interesting case study because we have continued statistics that show that we have the fastest growing footfall of almost any other high street in the UK and yet you can talk to a lot of people and they will be quite negative about it.
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“Talk to Paul Kinvig at Bournemouth Town Centre Bid and we have had a number of empty units but not more than the national level, which is interesting as everyone seems to think it is worse.
“The number of units that have been rented recently has been growing faster than anywhere, so there must be something going right – it is reinventing itself?
“But it is taking people on that journey with us as well.”
Cllr Broadhead said the council set up its ‘R cubed’ groups during the pandemic with the focus on the future of high streets across the conurbation with brief of ‘respond, recover, reimagine’.
The senior Conservative councillor said widespread disappointment when major brands closed up, such as department stores, was sometimes too hasty.
“I always reflect that when somebody thinks it is the end of the world when something goes, it actually ends up better than it was before,” said Cllr Broadhead.
“Everyone was so upset when Debenhams went. When Bobby’s is fully up and running it is going to be fantastic.
“When Beales went it was the end of the world, but actually the redevelopment proposals that come through for that are going to be great.
“It is going to maintaining the building, it is going to bringing more people living at a high end into the town centre, but also with a lot of commercial unlocking and the same with the M&S and Avenue Road sites.
“The renewal is really important. It is how to get that message through.”
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