TMI Annual Convention 2010

A PATH TO COASTAL SUCCESS Mark Smith Director of Tourism A PATH TO COASTAL SUCCESS

What I would like to cover: • Operating principles •Case Study- Spa Village Regeneration •Time for discussion A PATH TO COASTAL SUCCESS

Operating Principles •The enemy is not within! •It’s the sea stupid! •What’s the big idea? A PATH TO COASTAL SUCCESS •How to harness positive energy •How to make the best of your greatest asset •How to capture interest and win business The enemy is not within!

•Invest in foundations •Inclusive structures •Shared control • Tourism Management Board It’s the sea stupid!

•Sweat the assets •Ambitious plans •Don’t blame the weather •Boscombe Spa Village What’s the big idea?

•Small is not beautiful •16,000 beds to fill •Bold increases interest •PR best comm’s ROI •Case Study: Boscombe Spa Village Boscombe Spa Village Regeneration Bournemouth, , UK

• A thriving seaside town • 5.2million visitors a year • 163,000 residents • A year-round cosmopolitan resort • Seven miles of golden sand • Four prestigious Blue Flags • Quality Coast Award

Bournemouth & Boscombe Boscombe ‘before’

A pocket of deprivation

• Hotels closing down • Increase in Houses in Multiple Occupation • Lack of investment from the private sector • Falling house prices • Serious social issues Boscombe deprivation statistics

• Unemployment – 45 / 32,482*

• Economic – 365 / 32,482*

• Life expectancy – 68.5 years (South West average 77.2 years difference 8.7 years)

• Accommodation – 50% rented (20% Bournemouth)

*Number of wards in & Wales Boscombe ‘before’

OurOur VisionVision forfor BoscombeBoscombe

•Transform & regenerate Boscombe

•Integrated design concept

•Positive PR for Boscombe

•Stimulate external investment Consultation 2003/04

• 1200 residents through Citizen’s Panel

• 1100 visitors through the Leisure survey

• 250 young people through Young People’s survey

• Focus groups

• Roadshows Consultation findings

• A revitalised Boscombe Pier • Improved landscaping/ lighting/ street furniture • A restaurant with panoramic views • A Mediterranean style piazza • An artificial surf reef • No amusement arcade • Safe, clean beaches • Range of catering offers • Good quality toilets and showers Consultation on proposals Why a surf reef?

• Innovative • Build on existing surfing • Winter activity for Boscombe • All year round trading • Image ‘cool’ Economic benefits

• High profile • Local, national & international interest • Appealing to growing market • Attracts participants & spectators • Attracting inward investment Surf reef location

225 metres offshore in 2.7 – 5.0 metres deep water Surf reef design

•120 metres long, 45 metres wide, 2.8 – 4.1 metres high •2 layers of geotextile, permeable sand-filled containers; •55 bags - 37 in base layer 18 in upper layer •Approximate weight - 2,500 tonnes •Largest bags - 70 metres long Surf reef performance

• Surfable days increased • Quality of surf improved • Exceptional quality waves are produced occasionally (1-5 days/yr) • Increased surfer numbers compared to pier Surf reef monitoring

• Performance monitoring by independent expert – Plymouth University

• Ecological monitoring of impact on local fishing & marine habitat creation –

• Designed primarily for surfing amenity purposes but impacts on coastal protection to be monitored – Bournemouth Borough Council Budgets

£ • Boscombe Pier 2,289,000 • Land Train garage/ Pier Entrance 886,000 • Surf Reef 3,041,500 • Overstrand & hard landscaping 4,025,500 • Highways alterations, car parking and signage 389,000 • Public Art 225,000 • Building Control, 71,000 site investigations, land acquisition • Communications 25,000 • Project Management 120,000 Total cost 11,072,000 How did we fund this?

• Element of Capital receipt allocated £9,350,000

• Beach pod sales £1,776,000

Total £11,126,000 Consents

• Residential – Planning • Leisure – English Heritage – Planning • Reef – Crown Estate – FEPA Licence – Fishermen – Coastal Protection Authority • Highways – Planning – Transport Pressures Unforeseen Delays Pier entrance building listing : December 04 Revised leisure scheme – planning consent : September 05

Judicial review threat on final plans : October 05 – March 06

Surf Reef – FEPA Licence : Jan – Dec 07 – Contract Timetable : May 08 – Work Permits : May – July 08 – Summer 2008 weather

Overstrand / road works - costs – Unidentified Utilities & Works/delays

Surf Reef – costs – Innovative marine engineering/delays Boscombe ‘Now’

From this......

Public art From this..

From this......

The Overstrand

‘Beach Pods’ ‘Beach Pods’

Outputs

• PR Value – estimated £10million • New investment - £455,000 Sea Change and £2.2million co-location grant award • Economic predictions: Gross Value Added (GVA) - £41.5million Full time equivalent employment – 532 • New confidence in Boscombe • Raising standards for the town • Making a real difference Our Vision

• Transform & regenerate Boscombe

• Integrated design concept

• Positive PR for Boscombe

• Stimulate external investment Our Vision - Realised

• Transform & regenerate Boscombe

• Integrated design concept

• Positive PR for Boscombe

• Stimulate external investment What would we do differently?

• Not let enthusiasm underestimate the risk • Increase contingencies for pioneering marine construction • Even greater involvement of key stakeholders Boscombe Spa Village PATH TO COASTAL SUCCESS •Harnessed positive energy •Made the best of our greatest asset •Captured international interest and won new business Discussion & Questions