With the support of the Bournemouth Towns Fund Board, BCP Council has put forward a £25m bid for a share of the government’s £3.6bn Towns Fund.

The plans for Boscombe would provide for a new urban neighbourhood with a skills and learning hub, a mix of public spaces, arts and culture, cafes, shops, homes and places to work.

Proposals could see the Sovereign Shopping Centre replaced with a contemporary mixed-use neighbourhood of high quality commercial units and homes, as well as a new public square with a calendar of festivals and events.

There are plans to bring the Royal Arcade back into use by combining contemporary new workspace, skills and learning as well as arts and culture in this historic building.

Haviland Road between Palmerston Road (Lidl) and Haviland Road West could be restored as a street with generous pavements, cycle lanes, bus stops and tree planting all leading up to a new community hall and gardens.

Providing better transport infrastructure and improving the links between Boscombe town centre, the seafront, Pokesdown Train Station and AFC Bournemouth could also be funded through the investment.

Around 560 new homes, 6,700sqm of retail and leisure floor space and 4,800 sq m of commercial, community and health floor space have been earmarked as part of the plans.

In September the government awarded BCP Council £1million in accelerator funding to bring forward part of the town investment plan which will see the Smart Place pilot currently being rolled out in neighbouring Lansdowne into Boscombe.  The funding is also being used to kickstart plans to create a combined activity and learning hub at Kings Park Bowling Club.

The council has carried out a series of consultations with around 2,000 people over the past nine months.

An announcement by government on the success of Bournemouth’s Town Investment

Plan is expected in January 2021.