INCREASING the town centre population, investing in the BIC and seafront sites, and supporting the development of new hotels could be some of the future policy focuses for Bournemouth.

Other strategy ideas include encouraging taller buildings in certain areas and enhancing walking, cycling and public transport.

Potential policy priorities are up for discussion in BCP Council's Local Plan issues and options consultation.

Residents can share their views on a raft of areas that would make up a strategy for the future of the conurbation, including housing, environment, business and climate change.

The consultation includes details on each of the three town centres that make up the BCP Council area.

Summarising the town centre landscape, the document says: "We recognise that Bournemouth and Poole town centres have the most significant scope for regeneration and change.

"We propose that the vitality of each of these centres is supported through investment in visitor attractions, an increase in new homes and commercial development, with the encouragement of taller buildings in places, and through enhancements to streets and public spaces.

"The scale of opportunity in Christchurch is more limited, but there is still scope for improvements to streets and spaces and the development of key sites around Stony Lane, subject to the resolution of flood risk issues."

The consultation papers say "considerable progress" has been made in delivering projects from the Bournemouth Town Centre Vision – a strategy created by Bournemouth Borough Council in 2008.

There are "significant opportunities for growth" despite changing shopping habits leading to empty shops and fewer retailers, such as the disappearance of the major department stores chains in recent years.

According to the consultation, the council administration's proposed strategy for Bournemouth town centre could involve:

  • Increasing the number of people living in the town centre by making more sites available for new homes.
  • Significant investments in the Bournemouth International Centre and the seafront.
  • Making stronger connections between different parts of the town centre, and from the main shopping and leisure areas to the seafront.
  • Supporting the development of new hotel stock by allowing poor hotels to more easily exit the market.
  • Ensuring high quality digital infrastructure is available across the town centre.
  • Positively encouraging taller buildings in some areas to enhance our iconic skyline.
  • Embracing community-led and cultural initiatives that support regeneration.
  • Supporting the diversification of shops, allowing a wider range of commercial activities, and the reuse of upper floors for alternative uses, such as new homes.
  • Continuing to focus on enhancing walking, cycling and public transport, enabling the amount of surface public car parks to be reviewed and potentially considered for other uses, such as new homes.
  • Enhancing the Lansdowne as an area for employment and education.

We will be running a series of articles looking at the key ideas in the local plan this week.

The issues and options consultation is open to feedback, responses and alternative ideas until March 7.

Details can be found online at haveyoursay.bcpcouncil.gov.uk/localplan. Residents can view the consultation online, download and print a PDF copy or pick up a summary paper survey from one of the council’s libraries.

Following the issues and options consultation, the council will produce a draft Local Plan, which would go out for public feedback.

The local authority currently expects to submit its Local Plan to the Secretary of State in spring next year before an independent planning inspector examines it in detail in autumn 2023.

If all of these hurdles are cleared, the policy document would be adopted and used to inform decisions on planning applications from early 2024.