Did you shop till you dropped in Bournemouth this Christmas and New Year or did you shudder at the town’s retail offering and travel elsewhere?

What do you think? 

Residents are being asked to comment on retail in the town and put forward ideas for the type of stores they’d like to see and where. The answers will help to form a Town Centre Vision that will bring improvements to protect Bournemouth’s economy and environment for future generations.

Email Town Centre Vision for your opportunity to comment.

The Town Centre Vision will be formulated early in 2008 and will have an impact on the major development decisions over the months and years ahead. Other topics under consideration are transport links, parking, the quality of leisure attractions and the mix of homes and hotels.

It will focus on the:

  • Pier Approach
  • Exeter Road
  • Gervis Place
  • Hinton Road
  • Bath Road.

It will also include Old Christchurch Road and the wider Town Centre area up to the railway station

Deputy Leader of Bournemouth Borough Council, Cllr John Beesley, said:

“Bournemouth has a lot to offer shoppers – it has all the character that out of town shopping developments so often lack and plenty of stores that attract shoppers from elsewhere but we certainly cannot be complacent."

“Ultimately shoppers vote with their feet – if we don’t maintain and enhance the retail offering they’ll go to neighbouring towns and that would devastate our economy.”

Among the shopping areas encompassed by the vision are Westover Road, Commercial Road and Old Christchurch Road.

Nigel Hedges, vice president of Bournemouth Chamber of Trade, said:

“18 months ago I would have painted a gloomy picture of retail in Bournemouth.  But the arrival of big names such as Steamer Trading is attracting shoppers from all over, there are far fewer empty units than there used to be and quality traders are coming back.

“With two main high streets, Bournemouth is a town of two halves – some people see it as two separate towns and to some degree it is. That’s why we have to offer different shops and specialist shops to bring people in. Bournemouth’s strength also lies in its independent and unusual shops. It is essential that Westover Road must remain high quality and the top half of shops should be used for residential – to give Bournemouth a captive audience and keep it alive.

“The Triangle area is badly in need of attention.”

 

Release date: January 3, 2008