Visitors to Southbourne Beach this summer will be able to enjoy facilities at a new café, albeit a temporary one.

Work has already started to clear the former Bistro on the Beach site to pave the way for a temporary, high-quality, catering venue. Trading will start in June and the café will serve food and drink with outdoor seating and toilets – and run throughout the summers of 2022 and 2023, from late May to early October.

Construction of the final building, which will feature a new restaurant and 17 overnight-stay beach lodges, will then begin in autumn 2023 for an opening in 2024.

This time frame will enable the council to develop the best possible design for the permanent site, procure a high-quality operator, and ensure value for the area in the long-term, while maintaining an operational site serving users of Southbourne Beach.

Cllr Mohan Iyengar, portfolio holder for Tourism and Active Health, said: “The current building was end-of life, hence the removal. But we’re working actively to keep this location in great shape with the temporary venue coming this summer and the permanent one replacing it from 2024.

“At that time, we’ll have a restaurant with an outside terrace, takeaway kiosk, toilets, beach showers, cycle stands and overnight accommodation in the form of 17 beach lodges.

“It will provide a modern, open, sustainable community hub, enhancing the whole area.

“This is one of several ongoing seafront projects that aim to safeguard and protect our coastline while developing it in the right way for residents and visitors.”

A temporary promenade diversion using rigid trackway will ensure safe passage by the site for pedestrians, cyclists, wheelchair users, and those with pushchairs.

Other seafront projects underway include the Durley Environmental Innovation Hub, Sandbanks Pavilion and the Mudeford Beach House Café.