Residents and visitors will once again be able to visit Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole with the safe reopening of the town centres and seafronts planned, following the third lockdown.
The government has allocated BCP Council £416,323 from their Welcome Back Fund which includes just over £65,000 specifically to support coastal areas to safely welcome back holiday makers in the coming months.
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Councillor Philip Broadhead, Deputy Leader and Portfolio Holder for Regeneration and Economy commented:
“I am delighted we have received £416,323 from the government’s Welcome Back fund which will help support the safe and successful reopening of our town centres once more across Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole. This will be in addition to other preparations and grants we are working on, such as our summer resilience programmes and Bounce Back funds for businesses.
“Last year we launched innovative initiatives such the Rediscover Safely campaign, helping to relaunch our high streets following the previous lockdowns. This year, the additional funding allocated to us as a Coastal Local Authority will help us address the unique challenges we face as a seaside destination and enable us to support and promote the safe reopening of our towns and seafronts as we prepare for a great summer, welcoming back residents and holidaymakers over the next few months.”
The funding can be used to help boost tourism, improve green spaces and provide more outdoor seating areas, enhance the look and feel of the town centres and seafront, and help with any outside events and festivals, including the council’s bounce back festival – Festival Coast Live!, giving people safer options as they venture outside back to a new normality and reunite with friends and relatives.