The Overview and Scrutiny Board are scheduled to meet to discuss commercial operations, the resident card scheme, and to review their work plan. They will also be asked to consider a recommendation from the Audit and Governance Committee regarding the impact on residents living next to the Carters Quay site.

Commercial Operations

The Overview and Scrutiny Board are scheduled to receive a report providing an overview of the operating practices of the Commercial Operations service. The report is in response to a request from the board for more information on the service, and includes details in response to a Key Lines of Enquiry document.

The report pack includes the Commercial Operations service plan, the Seafront Strategy, and the Seafront Service Plan.

The report details the organisation structure of Commercial Operations, stating that it has 438 permanent and fixed term staff, and 530 casual members of staff. It also lists the main activities of the service, which include:

• Leisure and events, which aims to enhance community wellbeing by expanding access to physical activities and supporting diverse opportunities.
• Seafront, which aims to provide a safe, attractive and vibrant award-winning seafront, which protects the natural environment whilst maximising commercial potential and attracts investment.
• Car parking operations and enforcement, which aims to provide a safe, efficient and customer focused parking service that supports the community, promotes sustainable travel and enhances the local environment.
• Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management (FCERM), which aims to deliver a unified service with neighbouring authorities, adopting a shared team approach under the 'South West Flood and Coastal' banner.

The report also provides a breakdown of the 2025-26 budgeted income and expenditure for each service area, stating that Commercial Operations supports the council's Medium Term Financial Plan with a budgeted income position of £23,180,190.

The report lists a number of capital projects that Commercial Operations delivers across its service areas, including:

• 3G Artificial Pitch Rossmore Leisure Centre - Feasibility
• Ashdown Leisure Centre Floodlights
• Avon Beach to Highcliffe Beach Management
• BCP Cliff Management Strategy
• Beach Road Rear Car Park
• Broadstone Underpass Mural
• Canford Cliffs Pavilion
• Christchurch Bay and Harbour FCERM Strategy
• Christchurch Town Centre Strategy
• Durley Chine Environmental Innovation Hub
• Durlston to Hurst Sediment Resource Management programme
• FCERM Partnership Funding
• Highcliffe Beach Access Ramps
• Highcliffe Castle, (inc Phoenix Flies Project)
• Inland Asset Management System
• Kinson Catchment Surface Water FAS
• Lake Pier Major Refurbishment
• Leisure centre management in-house set up and investment
• MCA Project
• Mudeford Beach House Café
• Mudeford Ferry Pontoon
• Mudeford Sandbanks Beach Management
• New Beach Huts - Canford Cliffs
• Poole Bay Beach Management 2020-2031
• Poole Bridge to Hunger Hill (PB2HH) Flood Defences
• RNLI Signage and Public Rescue Equipment
• Sandbanks Pavilion
• SEAFRONT (LUF) Alum Chine Cloisters (Feasibility)
• SEAFRONT (LUF) Boscombe Pier (Feasibility)
• SEAFRONT (LUF) Bournemouth Lifeguard Corps (New Building)
• SEAFRONT (LUF) Bournemouth Pier (Future Leisure Offer)
• SEAFRONT (LUF) Bournemouth Pier (Structural Engineering)
• SEAFRONT (LUF) Coastal Heritage Trail (Culture)
• SEAFRONT (LUF) East Cliff Lift (Future Leisure Offer)
• SEAFRONT (LUF) East Cliff Lift (Stabilisation Works)
• SEAFRONT (LUF) Hamworthy Sea Wall (Repairs)
• SEAFRONT (LUF) Holes Bay Visual Arts Centre
• SEAFRONT (LUF) Project Management & Sundry Costs
• SEAFRONT (LUF) Promenade Infrastructure (Utility & Digital)
• SEAFRONT (LUF) Seafront Beach Huts (Repairs & Upgrades)
• SEAFRONT (LUF) Seafront Toilets (Repairs & Upgrades)
• SEAFRONT (LUF) The Strand (Access, Amenity & Wellbeing)
• SEAFRONT (LUF) Upton Country Park (Bridge & Cycle Path)
• Upton Country Park - Discovery project
• Upton Country Park New Play Attraction
• Upton House stabilisation
• Poole Bay, Harbour and Wareham FCERM Strategy
• Whitley Lake Sea Defence Study
• South West Storms Analysis
• Jurassic Coast FCERM Mitigation Study (revenue)
• Debris Screen Health and Safety Works
• Poole Park Tennis Courts Resurface

The report also provides details of the revenue streams received by the council arising from Commercial Operations seafront businesses, including income from car parking, Steamer Point Holiday Cottage, The Overstrand, Kidzone, Branksome Dene Community Room, Moorings and Dinghy Park, Tourist Information Centre, Hedgehog Kiosk Lower Gardens, Lower Gardens Mini-Golf, Seafront Management, Super Huts, Overnight Beach Lodges, Beach Huts, Private Sites, Sandbanks Mini Golf, Chairs & Sunbeds, Cliff Lifts, Piers, Smuggler's Cove Mini Golf, Land Trains, Concessions, Bournemouth Amusement Arcade, Contracts and Seafront Catering.

The report states that the council's visions and objectives for the seafront are set out in its Seafront Strategy, which provides a long-term framework for investment, regeneration, and sustainable development along the seafront. Key initiatives and projects currently being planned, delivered or recently completed include:

• Piers & Pontoons assessment and refurbishment work at all 4 main structures: Bournemouth Pier, Boscombe Pier, Mudeford & Lake Pier
• Cliff Stabilisation works to assess & stabilise slips at various sites including: Canford Cliffs, West & East Cliff and Portman Ravine
• In-house catering refurbishment of main BCP Council outlets including: Prom Diner and Prom Cafe
• Concessions private investment at Rockwater, Overstrand, Neptune, SOBO, Mudeford Café and Durley Environmental Hub.
• Beach Huts refurbishment and replacement programme of BCP Council owned assets.
• Health & Safety investment in new RNLI signage, rescue equipment, defibrillators & trauma kits, a new multi-agency control centre (MACC), CCTV and body worn cameras and cliff top fencing.
• Public toilets ongoing refurbishment programme including: Sandbanks, Canford Cliffs, Alum Chine, Bournemouth West & East, Boscombe West, Portman, Mudeford, Friars Cliff.
• Culture new trails and art works at sites across the BCP seafront.

The report also identifies a number of challenges for the seafront, including seasonality of business, climate change and environment, cliff stability, service resilience, high level of public interest and scrutiny, third party land ownership, other council priorities, macroeconomic influences and evolving leisure trends.

Resident Card

The Overview and Scrutiny Board are scheduled to consider a report detailing the BCP Residents Card offer, what the benefits are to residents and the opportunity to phase in offers or services as the scheme matures.

The report states that the Resident Card is a commitment to residents across the conurbation to support household incomes at a time when cost of living is increasing. The council intends to introduce a scheme which gives residents access to become Resident Card holder, offering a free hour of parking in council owned car parks, discounts at seaside kiosks and one swim per month at BCP Leisure centres, to support the wellbeing of local people. The scheme is intended to be accessed digitally and with a physical card from Spring 2026.

The report states that the Resident's Card has been designed around three key principles:

• To ensure equality for all through the delivery of a digital and physical card.
• To deliver a customer offer with preferential rates on council commercial services including parking, seafront catering venues and leisure centres and building a customer offer which drives footfall to town centres, neighbourhoods and attractions.
• Implement a scheme within a balanced budget.

The report details the initial Resident Card offer:

• Parking: 1-hour free parking with any parking session purchased after 9:30am via RingGo in select town centre council owned surface car parks.
• Catering: 10% off drinks, food and snacks (excluding alcohol) at all council owned, seafront catering kiosks and outlets.
• Leisure: Each Resident Card holder can access entry to one public or lane swim session per month at a BCP Leisure centre, subject to availability.
• Business: Local businesses are able to determine their offer, which will be flexible and expand over time.

The report states that an administrative charge of between £5 and £10 will be applied to the card, to contribute to the delivery cost of the scheme.

The report states that a total budget of £193,000 has been identified for Year 1 2025/26, funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (£96,000 )and Base Budget (£97,000). This will be used to procure the technical solution including digital and physical card, set up and running costs for year 1, and will also fund the launch campaign.

O&S Board Decision Tracker

The Overview and Scrutiny Board are scheduled to consider the Decision Tracker, which has been introduced to allow more effective monitoring of recommendations made by the board.

Work Plan

The Overview and Scrutiny Board are asked to consider and identify work priorities for publication in a Work Plan. The report pack includes the current O&S Board Work Plan.

The report pack also includes the Minutes 24072025 Audit and Governance Committee, and states that the committee is asked to consider a recommendation from the Audit and Governance Committee 24 July 2025 regarding the impact on residents living next to the site of Carters Quay.