Published on Wednesday 25 March 2026
Ahoy, young adventurers! Prepare to have your timbers well and truly shivered at the new and improved Treasure Island play space.
BCP Council is carrying out major refurbishment work, starting next month, at the Canford Cliffs site (known locally as the Pirate Park) with the iconic ship brought into the 21st century thanks to more than £130,000 of improvements.
At the heart of the new design is a brand-new large pirate ship that will replace the existing structure: complete with upgraded climbing equipment, slides, sensory play, and a miniature zip-wire.
Surrounding the ship will be a host of themed play zones – encouraging budding buccaneers to climb, balance and explore everything from new rope swings to rocking springers.
Innovative fitness play equipment will also be installed to help boost physical and mental wellbeing: giving our communities more reasons to enjoy being outdoors in stunning natural surroundings.
For smaller pirates, a play tower will be installed alongside balance beams, and a communication panel.
Improved accessibility will give even more children and young people access to inclusive play – with adapted swings, resurfaced paths, and enhancements to existing well-loved features, such as the cone spinner, making the site easier for everyone to enjoy.
Cllr Sandra Moore, portfolio holder for play strategy at BCP Council, said: “This refurbishment is a fantastic example of what can be achieved through collaboration – putting our communities at the heart of decision making.
“By working alongside passionate community groups and residents, our team is now able to deliver real improvements that we know will be loved by the community for generations to come.
“As we kick-start the major refurbishment phase of Plan for Play, I am excited to see more upgrades taking shape across our towns – revitalising spaces that matter to our residents.”
Improvements at Treasure Island have been joint-funded by the Canford Cliffs Land Society alongside allocations of Neighbourhood Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) funding.
The upgrades are part of BCP Council’s £4.4million Plan for Play strategy that will see repairs, improvements and major refurbishments take place at more than 120 play areas in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole.
Peter Dawes, chairman of Canford Cliffs Land Society, said: “We are very pleased to be joint-funding this project with BCP Council. The Society funded the original play equipment several years ago so this provides a logical continuation to our involvement with the local community. It also complements our other community-based activities which include providing flowers in the Village and the annual Christmas Lights.”
The work will be carried out in-house by BCP Council’s parks and green spaces team and is expected to take between four to six weeks.
Cllr Andy Hadley, portfolio holder with responsibility for parks at BCP Council, said: “Treasure Island marks the start of a big year for play spaces across Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole.
“Our team is hard at work implementing repairs and improvements at dozens of sites across our three towns alongside major refurbishments at Anchor Close, Kings Park, Mallard Road and Noyce Gardens – to name just a few.
“These improvements are putting play back at the heart of communities – upgrading already cherished green spaces into vibrant, accessible places for families to enjoy together.”
Plan for Play upgrades to date have seen Queen’s Park play area transformed with an improved fort, new climbing frame, replacement swings and enhanced accessibility; as well as new equipment across key sites such as Mallard Road, Kingston Road, Churchill Gardens, Moordown Rec, Seafield Gardens, Littlemoor Avenue.