Bournemouth Christchurch and Poole (BCP) Council has launched a public consultation on its draft Urban Forest Strategy, created to maximise and enhance all the benefits trees and woodlands provide to our environment and communities. This innovative evidence-based strategy proposes an exciting vision for the future of trees in the BCP area until 2050. This strategy identifies Read more…
Category: Nature and Wildlife
Forest Holme Gardens Win Gold at Poole Awards
Forest Holme Hospice in Poole has fought off fierce competition to win gold in the Loving Care Homes category in Poole in Bloom 2023. The annual Poole in Bloom competition was founded to celebrate the efforts of local community groups, businesses, and households to make Poole a beautiful place to live. The hospice’s volunteer gardeners David Read more…
Sandbanks Beach in Poole among the top 10% Attractions Worldwide!
South coast destination wins hat trick! Sandbanks Beach in Poole is among the top 10% attractions worldwide according to travel website TripAdvisor. This stretch of seafront received the Traveller’s Choice Award based on reviews and ratings collected from users over the last year. Sandbanks joins both Bournemouth Beach Lodges and Smugglers Cove Adventure Golf with this Read more…
BCP beach visitors asked to Leave Only Footprints this Bank Holiday weekend
With temperatures touching 20 degrees this Bank Holiday weekend, Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council’s message to those heading to their seafront is ‘Leave Only Footprints’. Anthony Rogers, BCP Council’s Head of Seafront, said: “We welcome all the visitors who want to make the most of this burst of Bank Holiday sunshine and enjoy our miles Read more…
Blue Flags set to fly as visitors urged to leave only footprints
Award-winning beaches across Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole have once more scooped more Blue Flags than any other UK destination in this year’s awards. Environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy announced its iconic Blue Flags for excellent water quality, and our three towns have been confirmed with 12 awards in total with 14 additional Seaside Awards, which Read more…
Environmental Hub Kiosk Opens
A cutting edge eco hub, made from old wooden seaside defences and wood from a German shipyard has opened on Bournemouth seafront. The beach-based venue at Durley Chine, which has been designed to be as sustainable as possible, includes six unisex toilets and a waste management hub to handle the 2,000 tons of rubbish removed from Read more…
New Berlin Wall Exhibit at Careys Secret Garden
Designed to divide, used to unite Careys Secret Garden creates special installation using parts of the Berlin Wall. By very definition, walls are meant to separate and stand as symbols of division or oppression. There are currently 74 border walls across the globe, most erected over the last few decades. They are being used to Read more…
Dorset in Pictures
Dorset, which lies in the south-west of England, boasts a wide variety of spectacular landscapes, from the cliffs and beaches of its Jurassic Coast, its chalk downs and limestone hills, heathland and vales, to its historic towns and villages and other ancient settlements. In Dorset in Pictures, photographer Matthew Pinner takes a fresh look at Read more…
BCP Council celebrates 23 Green Flag Awards for its outstanding parks and green spaces
Once again, BCP Council is celebrating after receiving 23 Green Flag Awards for its much-loved and well maintained green spaces and parks. The Green Flag Award is the international quality mark for parks and green spaces. The scheme, managed by environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy, recognises and rewards well-managed parks and green spaces, setting the Read more…
BCP Council welcomes thousands to beaches
Soaring temperatures brought more than 100,000 visitors to the region’s award-winning beaches this weekend. With an additional £1.7m investment into our summer readiness plans, BCP Council was ready to welcome them with numerous safety and environmental initiatives. Prior to the weekend, the council installed 150 water refill stations along the seafront with charity City to Read more…
Local residents invited to have their say on plans for seven parks across the conurbation
As part of the Nature Recovery project which aims to connect people with nature, The Parks Foundation is asking local residents to share their thoughts on draft plans for seven parks across Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole. Last summer, The Parks Foundation alongside BCP Council was awarded £224,000 funding from the Government’s Green Recovery Challenge Fund Read more…
Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole – keeping the Blue Flag flying!
Environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy has announced the winners of the prestigious Blue Flag and Seaside Awards for summer 2022. The awards recognise and celebrate the country’s best beaches as international Blue Flag celebrates its 35th anniversary. With this latest announcement, Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole beaches have been confirmed with 26 awards in total, and Read more…
Squawks of excitement as Bournemouth’s brand-new aviary opens
The morning chirp of bird song will be getting louder in Bournemouth’s Lower Gardens with the new Cooper-Thompson Rescue Aviary officially opening on Tuesday 17 May. This exciting new rescue aviary has replaced the old 1980s building that was previously in the gardens. It will provide a better sanctuary for around 200 tropical birds who have Read more…
Plans for the summer heat up with funding boost for Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole’s seafront and town centres
Last year’s multi-agency seasonal response plan was a great success in managing the resort’s beaches, town centres, and parks and open spaces when an influx of visitors returned after months of lockdown. An investment of £1.7 million has now been approved at Full Council to build upon this seasonal response plan for the coming year. Read more…
March marks start of dogs on lead season and owners reminded to pick up after their pooches!
Responsible dog owners across Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole are reminded about some important rules which come into effect at this time of year to help protect the area’s outstanding natural environment. From 1 March 1 to 31 July, dogs on lead season begins and dog owners must take steps to limit any disturbance to protected Read more…
Funding for the implementation of Throop Nature Park to be agreed at Cabinet
Plans for the new Nature Park at Throop that will encourage more people to get outside and explore their local area while improving their health and wellbeing are moving forward, with over half a million pounds of Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) funding approved by Natural England for the implementation of this project. Throop Nature Park opens Read more…
New activity and learning hub planned for residents of King’s Park
Exciting plans are underway to improve the skills, health and wellbeing for residents of all ages by providing a new community space at the heart of Kings Park. The new Kings Park facility for activity and learning aims to be fully inclusive and improve the life chances of all residents – from school children to Read more…
Exciting plans drawn up to improve eight parks across the conurbation
Work is progressing well in eight parks across the conurbation that were chosen to benefit from government funding with the recruitment of a Nature Recovery Project Manager and Park Activators to bring these parks to life, as well as draft plans for each park that aim to increase biodiversity, engage residents and enhance the appearance Read more…
Reduce, Reuse and Recycle this Christmas
The festive season is one of excitement, enjoyment and especially excess – with an estimated 3 million tonnes of extra waste created at this time of year. Planning ahead and making small changes such as reducing the amount of waste created, reusing and recycling can make a big difference. This year, BCP Council is encouraging Read more…
Winter & Festive Joy by the Seaside
Nestled into the cliffside of Boscombe beach on the Dorset coast with stunning uninterrupted views of the sea, the Bournemouth Beach Lodges make for a perfect UK coastal break all year round, including at Christmas and New Year. These contemporary little houses by the sea are open plan with a mezzanine level sleeping area, a Read more…
Dolphin Centre team conquer mammoth beach clean for charity
6 Team members from the Dolphin Centre in Poole took part in an extensive 16.4-mile beach clean on 15th October to raise money for Great Ormond Street Hospital and the NHS University Hospitals Dorset charity. The team, naming themselves ‘The Green Dolphins’, walked over the length of a half marathon, tackling the full coastline. The Read more…
23 Keep Britain Tidy Green Flag Awards for Outstanding Parks and Open Spaces
Today, Green Flags will be raised across the BCP area with pride. 23 of BCP Council’s outstanding parks and open spaces have been awarded a Green Flag Award, managed by environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy. The scheme, licensed by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, recognises and rewards well-managed parks and green spaces, Read more…
Arrival of Environmental Innovation Hub Frame Imminent
A large timber frame for the Durley Environmental Innovation Hub’s main building will be craned into place at the end of September. The hub has been designed to be a space dedicated to achieving a step-change in the reduction of waste and elimination of single use packaging across the BCP Council area. Highlighting the impact of single use plastic packaging and waste Read more…
Beach app rolls out nationally following government backing
EUROPE’S first innovative beach check app developed to help beach-goers check busy beaches following a surge in visitors last summer is set to go national after being backed by central government. Launched in July last year by BCP Council to help beach-goers comply with social distancing after visitors flocked to the coast in their thousands, the BCPBeachCheck app has now become Beach Check UK, funded by the Local Digital Read more…