Petition to Parliament & BCP Council
Call to review - The loss of car parking at Southbourne Crossroad car park
And support - Greater provision of off street parking across Southbourne
What is the issue
- Southbourne Crossroads car park was identified in 2017 by Bournemouth Council as underutilised, operating at a loss and surplus to requirements, and offered as a redevelopment site along with other underused car parks in Bournemouth at that time.
- Post pandemic has changed that completely. Visitor numbers have not only returned but staycations are rising and the demand for beach parking is increasing, with 3/4 of our visitors travelling by car.
BCP Planning Committee
- The pre COVID data used by the Council, which indicated some car parks are under used is no longer a fair reflection of the changing needs of Bournemouth. These changes were recognised by BCP's Planning Committee in March last year when planning permission to build 27 apartments was refused.
- This unanimous decision was subsequently overturned on appeal by Bristol Planning Inspectorate.
Why this is important
- Removal of a key beach front amenity in favour of residential development, exacerbated by insufficient parking for the residents of that development, compounds our parking problems and more widely will damage our tourism reputation.
- We must have the required infrastructure to meet the needs of our residents and visitors.
BCP's Car Park Strategy needs an urgent review using current data and Parliament must strengthen the planning process to support residents.
PLEASE NOTE: This petition is NOW CLOSED and I have presented it to Parliament - thank you to everyone who added their signature.
