Action plan to revitalise high streets in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole
The pandemic has provided 'an opportunity'.
A new strategy aimed at revitalising high streets across Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole is set to be given the go-ahead.
BCP Council’s cabinet will be asked to approve the “swift” creation of an action plan addressing ways of revitalising town centres.
A report published ahead of next month’s meeting says the pandemic has provided “an opportunity” to consider how to “curate high streets that are fit for now and for the future”.
In October, Highcliffe and Walkford councillor Nigel Brooks was made one of the council’s lead members and tasked with bringing forward a retail strategy.
The appointment was made following concern about “unprecedented change” across the country, which has been exacerbated by the pandemic and falling town centre footfall.
'An opportunity to bounce back'
Business leaders have called for greater support for the area’s high streets to reverse the decline and in the summer the council formed a task force to consider measures to support businesses.
And on February 10, the council’s cabinet will be asked to give the go ahead for the council’s director of development to start work on putting it together.
“The preceding councils worked over many years…to proactively support and invest in their town centres in various ways,” a report by its director of development, Chris Shephard, says.
“Whilst this has not stopped, Covid-19 has arguably sped up a process that was already underway and created a new reality that now needs to be considered alongside the previous best practice.
“However, Covid-19 has also provided an opportunity to bounce back better, together, to embrace the change, and to consider how best a council and its partners can intervene positively and create, or curate, high streets that are fit for now and for the future.”
The report recommends councillors approve the creation of a new “strategy and action plan” which, it says, will “enable the delivery interventions that will support our high streets”.