Our transformational vision for Lansdowne is to create an exciting and attractive place to live, work, study and enjoy. This will be achieved through a series of major investments into the public realm.

The initial improvements will deliver new art installations, seating and outdoor event space in the heart of Lansdowne’s main business district along Holdenhurst Road between Station Roundabout and Lansdowne Roundabout. This will encourage people to come to and then stay in the area longer, becoming a place for people to interact, sit outside, host meetings, enjoy events, innovate and spend time while visiting local businesses.

Plans for an initial delivery phase for transforming Lansdowne were approved in November 2020 and work commenced on Monday 15 March 2021.This latest phase of public realm improvements in Lansdowne has now been delivered, with the Chine Forest artworks for the new Fire Station Square event space representing the final element to be completed. 

Fire Station Square and Chine Forest

Works to install the centre piece Chine Forest artworks for the new Fire Station Square event space on Holdenhurst Road are now underway.

Commencing from Tuesday 20 September 2022 installation will take approximately 10 to 12 days to complete. This will involve pulling cables through previously installed ducts and erecting the artwork poles into pre-installed sockets. There will be some local traffic management in operation to create a safe space for works to be undertaken however, no excavation of the surface or closure of Holdenhurst Road or the footpath is anticipated.

Following installation, the artwork will then need to be tested and commissioned before they are fully operational. We are planning a special event to celebrate the many improvements to the public realm on Holdenhurst Road on Friday 7 October 2022. This event will launch the new artworks and outdoor event space which has been delivered for the area. 

Future improvements

These initial improvements have not included the pedestrianisation of the lower third of Holdenhurst Road, however, to meet our Climate and Ecological Emergency declaration this may become the focus of future improvements and investment into the area.

Future improvements to the public realm in the wider Lansdowne area are also being considered as part of this initial phase subject to detailed design, planning approval and funding.

Lansdowne Cultural Strategy

A Lansdowne Cultural Consultation was held at the end of September 2020 alongside the Arts by the Sea Festival. This received some interesting comments from the public with key points highlighted a need for investment, desire for colour, more art in general and more places to sit all of which has helped influence the content of the Lansdowne Cultural Strategy and future Public Art proposals focussing on two key Cultural themes of Technology & Innovation and Connection to Nature.

The programme has an incredibly exciting art installation planned for Holdenhurst Road to help set the cultural tone for the area whilst building on BCPs arts & culture ambitions. For this we need to hear about your fascinating stories and memories of the Lansdowne area over the years.

A Lansdowne Cultural Consultation was held at the end of September 2020 alongside the Arts by the Sea Festival.

This received some interesting comments from the public with key points highlighted a need for investment, desire for colour, more art in general and more places to sit. This is being used to inform an evolving cultural strategy for the area.

Background

In 2015, key stakeholders with an interest in Lansdowne agreed on the following vision for the area:

• Lansdowne will be an exciting place where ideas, innovations, technology and enterprise flourish close to the free and relaxed climate of the beach.
• Workers, visitors, residents and students will have the opportunity to exchange ideas and knowledge in the many vibrant streets, plazas and parks.
• The synergy of education, places to live, dynamic workspaces and culture will create an atmosphere of enterprise.

This vision led to the development by Bournemouth Borough Council (now BCP Council) of the Lansdowne Delivery Plan as a formal response to the vision document.

 A bid for funding was submitted to Dorset Local Enterprise Partnership (DLEP) in 2017 which proved to be successful and priority areas within the Delivery Plan were highlighted for this first phase of funding. The view is these changes should act as a springboard encouraging further investment and subsequent fulfilment of the Delivery Plan over the coming years.

This initial phase of works has since benefitted from a series of consultations providing residents, businesses, transport providers and the wider public with opportunities to share their views on what they would like to see and how the proposed changes could affect them. Responses from these consultations have been considered during the design process and decision making.

While the long-term Lansdowne vision remains unchanged, BCP Council has also acknowledged the need to support local businesses and economic recovery post COVID-19 and the belief is that the planned improvements will help to encourage that recovery.

Funding

£4.8 million in government funding has been secured through Dorset Local Enterprise Partnership Local Growth Fund to deliver these improvements. A further £2.9 million of council match funding from local contributions will also be invested in the area, resulting in almost £8 million public investment for the Lansdowne.

Dorset LEP has successfully secured £98.4 million of Local Growth funding for Dorset through the government's Growth Deal to bring together local, national and private sector funding. The fund will unlock and unblock key housing and employment sites, create more highly skilled jobs, and support economic growth.