BCP Council prepared for another busy weekend

Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP) Council is preparing for another hot weekend across the area, with teams ready to welcome residents and visitors to our beautiful award-winning coastline and open spaces.

Council teams will be out alongside partner agencies, including Dorset Police and RNLI to help manage the influx of visitors to ensure everyone has a good weekend.

Extra staff will be on duty over the weekend to manage the flow of traffic around car parks and to make the seafront a clean, enjoyable and a fun place for all.

There are a number of popular events taking place over the weekend, such as Bournefree, Sandpolo and SandFest, and we are working with our partner agencies to ensure these events are safe and enjoyable for everyone. Those attending Sandfest are advised to arrive in the area as early as possible in the morning, as the peninsula is likely to be extremely busy.

We know our seafront carparks become full by early morning which can result in inconsiderate and illegal parking and congestion. Please use Avenue Road or Richmond Gardens Multi Storey and Hawkwood Road Car Parks as these have plenty of capacity and are only a short walk from the seafront.

As is the case for all busy weekends, we have extra staff on duty and the following in place:

• Community Safety Accreditation Scheme (CSAS) Officers will be patrolling busy areas across BCP to help keep people safe.
• CSAS Traffic Officers will be stationed at priority car parks – Sandbanks and Sea Road, Boscombe - to help manage the flow of traffic. They will direct vehicles to alternative car parks when car parks are at capacity.
• Tow away trucks will be ready to lift any car that obstructs a key route or restricts access points for emergency vehicles and tow it away to a secure compound . Drivers will face a fine of more than £100 and an inconvenient journey to get their vehicle back.
• There will be enhanced enforcement of littering, and the Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) is in place to ensure the law-abiding majority can use and enjoy public spaces safely, free from antisocial behaviour.
• The council’s cleansing team begin collecting rubbish early every morning from the beaches across Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole’s seafront. Additional crews are in place to increase waste collections.
• Fully staffed multi agency control room which monitors the council’s CCTV system which aims to detect prevent and reduce crime and anti-social behaviour, and aid in public safety, and traffic management.
• Extra signage along the A338 informing visitors which car parks have spaces
• Additional parking restrictions will also be in place to allow better flows of traffic at key locations.
• The council’s Severe Weather Emergency Protocol (SWEP) is in place, and we are working with St Mungo's to support rough sleepers during the hot temperatures. Anyone concerned about those sleeping rough should call 01202 315962 or email: B&Pstreetoutreach@mungos.org
• The RNLI are adding additional provision of lifeguards on our beaches at Bournemouth, Branksome and Boscombe.

 

Did you know?

During the last hot weekend:

• we issued over one thousand parking tickets to illegally parked cars and our parking enforcement team will be out working hard again this weekend
• we towed 13 vehicles that were parked dangerously and disrupted critical routes

• we issued 19 fixed penalty notices for littering.

 

Ahead of this weekend:

• There are 150 drinking water refill stations along our seafront to encourage people to refill their own water bottle and reduce plastic waste.
• We have over 400 bins along our coastline. If a bin is full, we encourage people to take their rubbish to the nearest empty bin or dispose of it at home.
• Choose a lifeguarded beach and swim between the red and yellow flags, and if you get into trouble in the water remember to Float To Live
• For travelling to Sandpolo and Sandfest, you can take public transport - the Breezer 50 or 60 bus routes - from Bournemouth and Poole.
• Cool spaces are available in your community where you can cool down. You can find those here: Find a community welcome space | BCP

• Information on RNLI lifeguarded beaches, as well as safety tips, tide times and weather updates can be found at:  Find Your Nearest RNLI Lifeguarded Beaches

• From 1 July-1 September 2025, free LV= KidZone wristbands will be available for collection from all seafront offices and RNLI lifeguard towers across the 15 miles of BCP seafront as part of the beach safety scheme which helps reunite lost children and vulnerable adults with their loved ones.

Cllr Richard Herrett, Portfolio Holder for Destination, Leisure and Commercial Operations, said:

“It’s great to see people heading to our beaches to enjoy the sunshine and nice weather.

“Each year, we welcome around 10 million visitors and the vast majority respect our community and environment.

“We’ve proactively deployed extra staff to help manage traffic, public safety, parking enforcement, tow away tracks to remove cars parked illegally, and security in place to address anti-social behaviours.

“Our beach cleansing team are out every morning, sometimes as early as 3am, to make sure our beaches are clean and ready to welcome visitors.

“Our message remains the same - we ask everyone - residents and visitors alike - to enjoy our coastline responsibly and respectfully. Please park legally, dispose of your rubbish correctly, and respect others using the space. Those who don’t are not welcome back."