FAQs

A key part of the work is to deliver a masterplan for Boscombe town centre with a specific focus on Hawkwood Road, opening up new space and creating a more enhanced link to the high street. 

As part of the first phase of work we are proposing to put in place Hawkwood Gardens - a new green space, a wider walkway to the Precinct, a new community centre, five retail kiosks, new homes and a medical centre. 

The work also includes transport schemes to improve connectivity between the revitalised town centre, Pokesdown Railway Station and the seafront, creating a connected and vibrant area. This is what we will be consulting on.

Phase two of the regeneration of the town centre is a separate piece of work and will be delivered at a later date by the council’s urban regeneration company: FuturePlaces.

The schematic plans show that this will replace an existing building opposite the entrance to the Sovereign Centre. The new walkway will be an attractive, widened space linking Hawkwood Road to the Precinct, opening up the space for retail kiosks, enhancing a thriving café culture.

Hawkwood Gardens will be a new park in the heart of Boscombe with a play area and gardens for all visitors to use, relax and socialise.

In our 2020 survey you told us that a community hub was important.  The masterplan proposal includes a Community Centre on Hawkwood Road.  The centre will look to provide space for the community to use as well as provide services itself, and will feature a roof top garden, a café on the ground floor and facilities for services to improve the health and wellbeing of the community, which could include children’s activities, fitness classes, and gardening projects. We will be asking you what you would like to see at the community centre.

In 2020, you told us that Boscombe needed more family and affordable homes, with private outdoor space, with mixed communities of families and all residents. 

We plan to provide a mix of homes in two areas on Hawkwood Road either side of the new Hawkwood Gardens. There will be approximately 84 new homes, many of which will be family and affordable homes. We aim for:    
- All homes to meet the national minimum standards (larger than many homes recently built in the area)  
- Majority of homes to have access to a balcony / shared garden / own small garden  
- Around 10% are accessible for people with disabilities (life-time home)  
- At least 20% comprise affordable housing  
- All homes to be sustainable and well insulated.   
- One secure cycle storage space for each bedroom  

We will be asking your views on the mixture of houses being proposed.

Most of the proposed new three-bedroom homes will each have off street parking space.

There are currently six proposals for improved transport links making easier and safer to travel in and out of the area. The schemes will improve connectivity between the revitalised town centre, Pokesdown railway station and the seafront.

In our 2020 consultation you told us that improving cycling, walking and public transport access to Boscombe town centre was important.

Six projects are being proposed to promote more sustainable travel around the Boscombe area:

• Improvements to the area outside Pokesdown Station
• A new bus service linking the station, Boscombe town centre and Boscombe Pier
• Better walking and cycling routes along Christchurch Road between Pokesdown Station and Boscombe precinct
• Improved pedestrian facilities along Ashley Road
• Improvements to Woodland Walk gardens including better walking and cycling route
• Various improvements to cycle lanes and cycle storage facilities across the area.

We will be asking your views on which of these travel schemes are most important to you and the community.

The area outside Pokesdown station is currently a very busy junction. We are proposing to create a more welcoming space for residents and visitors to the front of the station. Proposals include cycle facilities and wider pavements for pedestrians to enhance connectivity and accessibility in and out of the area.

We are planning to create an improved environment for cyclists, pedestrians and buses., whilst addressing known road safety issues. This will include widening the footway, giving pedestrian priority at side roads where possible, and measures to give buses priority where needed.

We are proposing a new bus route to link the revitalised town centre to Pokesdown station and the seafront, making it easier for residents and visitors travel in and out of the area. We will be asking you for your thoughts on this and find out the most popular routes, so that we can plan for this.

Our proposals include widening the pavement making it safer for pedestrians. We will be asking you if you would like this to be a more pedestrian friendly area.

Woodland Walk is a valuable space which connects Boscombe and Pokesdown high streets to the seafront. We will enhance this important green space by opening it up as a social space through landscaping, a play trail and artwork.

There are a number of cycle improvements being proposed, including cycle lanes and cycle storage. We will be looking for your views on what will be most beneficial for you.

Under the proposals, the new Hawkwood Gardens area will occupy half of the Hawkwood Road (main) car park. The remainder of this car park will provide 75 public parking spaces. Hawkwood Road car park one (next to the library) will remain, car park two (behind Costa) will house a new community centre building, and car park three, which is currently a permit only car park will be changed to accommodate short stay parking.

An analysis of car park ticket sales for 2019 and 2021 demonstrates that there is an over-supply of public parking spaces in the central Boscombe area. This is reinforced when the total number of parking spaces available is compared with other similar local centres, such as Westbourne and Winton. 

This research and evidence gathering studies that the demand for parking is well below the current supply, and that lower levels of parking could adequately support Boscombe. 

To be absolutely sure that the level of parking suggested is sufficient moving forward, the council will be undertaking further research and evidence gathering during the summer of 2022. This will help to identify any seasonal demand or changes in parking habits following the COVID pandemic.

At this stage there are no identified changes planned; however, it is proposed to:

• review current on-street parking controls and rationalise these where necessary
• look to introduce controls to roads within the central area that currently have no controls (where a need is identified)
• develop themed interventions which support the management of on-street parking controls, inlcuing tackling non-compliant / inconsiderate parking.

Three extensive daytime parking surveys (on a Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday between 0900hrs and 1900hrs) and one night-time survey (on a Wednesday between 0200hrs and 0500hrs) were carried out in October 2021 to determine the levels of occupancy, parking stress and non-complaint/inconsiderate parking that is occurring on roads within Boscombe.

Additionally, a comprehensive analysis of ticket sales data in town centre public car parks, covering the periods August and October 2019 and 2021 (i.e. pre and post pandemic), was also carried out. 

A further analysis of ticket sales of data is also planned for August 2022 to sense check the outputs from the ticket sales data for 2021 which may have been influenced by the then pandemic lockdown guidelines. 

The approach to this work was in-line with industry standards and this background research has helped inform future arrangements for parking within the Boscombe area.  

The on-street parking surveys showed that:

• The surveyed roads are 75%-80% occupied at the start of the day, and 70-75% occupied at the end of the day, with on-street parking capacity being reached (and in some cases exceeded) by mid-morning and remaining at this level for much of the day.
• Non-compliant or inconsiderate parking contributes to approximately 7% of all parking, with a peak at 1000hrs. 
• Shorter stays tended to occur in roads located in close proximity to Hawkwood Road car parks, suggesting that ‘free’ on-street parking is being used ahead of ‘paid for’ parking off-street.

The analysis of public car park data showed that:

• The Hawkwood Road Main Car Park is under-utilised, leading overall to a significant over-provision of public car parking spaces when compared to the current demand for parking.
• Car Parks 1 and 2 are occupied for most of the day, with 70% of stays in public car parks being for up to 2hrs, suggesting that a majority of trips to the car parks are locally based. It is these trips that have potential to switch to alternative modes.

There are 481 public car parking spaces within the Hawkwood Road area. These are split as follows:

There are also over 700 public car parking spaces within three BCP Council operated car parks located in nearby Kings Park, which is less than 1km, or a 10-12 minute walk from the central Boscombe area. 

Other similarly sized comparable local centres within the BCP Council area have significantly less public car parking spaces. Westbourne has 468 public car parking spaces, whereas Winton has 344.

Based on the investigatory work and background research carried out and planning for a small reduction in the total amount of retail floor space, it has been determined that there is a peak demand for 452 public car parking spaces within Boscombe.

130 of these public car parking spaces would be provided within Hawkwood Road 

Also, the proposed local transport infrastructure improvement projects will seek to improve pedestrian and cycle links between the central area of Boscombe with the existing 700 parking spaces at Kings Park. Indeed, some cycle infrastructure improvements are already underway through the park. These improved links will help to encourage greater use of these spaces, and alongside other initiatives, will ensure that the future peak parking demand can be met.   

Disabled parking

Disabled parking spaces will be provided in all new car parks in line with recognised standards and design guidance.

As a general rule a minimum of two disabled spaces will be provided per car park.

Electric vehicle charging points 

Electric vehicle charging points will be provided in all new car parks in line with recognised standards and design guidance. As a general rule a minimum of two electric vehicle charging points will be provided per car park.

Motorcycles 

For security reasons motorcyclists prefer to park their vehicles in places which are over-looked and considered to be secure. Thus, car parks tend not to be the preferred choice to park a motorcycle. 

Wherever possible over-looked, secure motorcycle parking will be provided within public car parks, in line with BCP Council’s adopted parking standards which requires 1.5% of the total number of spaces to be set aside for motorcycle parking. 

Where off-street motorcycle parking is not possible (e.g. where it is not considered to be offer secure parking) consideration will be given to identifying a suitable location(s) on-street.

The investigatory work and background research carried out shows there to be various parking controls in the Boscombe area. Whilst no significant changes to these controls are currently planned, all controls in the Boscombe area do need to be reviewed, and rationalised accordingly, to ensure they meet future parking needs. This may lead to changes to some parking controls in the longer term. 

Additionally, there a small number of roads within the central Boscombe area which do not currently have any parking controls. It is proposed that parking controls are considered for these roads to discourage any potential for the displacement of parking from one street to another.

In line with BCP Council’s adopted parking standards it is proposed to provide one car parking space per family home (i.e. 3 bedrooms or more), with 1.5% of the total number of spaces also being provided for motorcycles. 

No parking spaces will be provided to support commercial development, except for the proposed surgery where parking will be available for emergency vehicles and disabled users.  

One cycle parking space will also be provided per new residential unit, with 0.1 space per residential unit also being provided for visitors. Cycle parking provision attached to commercial development varies depending on the type of proposed development, but this will be provided to exceed BCP Council’s adopted parking standards by 20%.

100% of family homes will be provided with electric charging points.

The existing public bicycle parking provision within Boscombe will be reviewed as the regeneration proposals evolve. This review will look to enhance existing provision and provide additional bicycle parking, including secure on-street bicycle parking facilities.

Alongside the local transport infrastructure improvement projects, the provision of new and enhanced secure bicycle parking facilities in central Boscombe will contribute towards encouraging town centre users to switch their mode of travel. 

The current BCP-wide bike hire scheme is operated by Beryl Bikes – details can be found at: www.beryl.cc/bikeshare/bournemouth-poole

There are currently two existing bike hire locations in the central Boscombe area, with others in outer lying areas.

There has been some early engagement with Beryl Bike about the future level of bike hire provision within Boscombe. Although nothing has been agreed at this time, it is clear there are opportunities to provide new and to enhance existing bike hire facilities, with a particular focus on: 

• the central Boscombe area; and,
• key destinations, including:

1. Kings Park Car Park.
2. Pokesdown Station; and,
3. along the A35 Christchurch Road. 

The current car club scheme is operated by Co-Wheels – details can be found at: www.co-wheels.org.uk/bournemouth

There are currently two existing car club vehicles/spaces in the central Boscombe area.

There has been early engagement with Co-Wheels about the future level of car-club provision. Although nothing has been agreed at this time, both parties would like to see the scheme expanded, and this will require further vehicles/spaces to be provided. The location of these has yet to be determined and they may be located within Phase 1 or Phase 2, or perhaps even within existing residential developments that currently experience high levels of parking stress.