Boscombe regeneration 'turbocharged' with £21.7m grant

The Sovereign Centre (left) would be demolished under the plans, while the Royal Arcade (right) would be brought back into use

"Ambitious" regeneration plans for part of a seaside resort have been "turbocharged" with a £21.7m grant, a council has said.

Plans for Boscombe, Bournemouth, include the demolition of its shopping centre.

A new "urban neighbourhood" would also be built with 560 homes, along with retail, leisure and commercial space.

Bournemouth is among 45 areas of England to be allocated a share of £1bn as part of the government Towns Fund.

The fund is aimed at "levelling up" the regions.

A Bournemouth Christchurch and Poole (BCP) Council spokeswoman said the money would "turbocharge ambitious regeneration plans for Boscombe", which also include the creation of a new square.

Conservative deputy leader Philip Broadhead said: "Now is the time to invest with ambition in our place and our people as we look to rebuild out of the global pandemic, and drive regeneration across the conurbation on a scale never delivered before."

The Royal Arcade features prominently in the plans, BCP Council said

The council previously said Gladstone Road and Hawkwood Road would be redeveloped to "make way for new family homes" while the Sovereign Shopping Centre would become a "neighbourhood of streets and high-quality commercial units and homes".

The Royal Arcade and Royal Ballrooms - now the O2 Academy - also feature prominently, with plans to bring the Royal Arcade back into use.

Boscombe has long been considered as one of the most deprived areas of Bournemouth.

In 2019, the government invited 101 places, including Bournemouth, to outline proposals for a town investment plan as part of the £3.6bn Towns Fund programme.

BCP councillor Mark Howell, who was regeneration portfolio holder for the previous Unity Alliance administration, said he had produced the initial design involving the redevelopment of the shopping centre.

He said: "When this opportunity arose, I could see the elephant in the room was the Sovereign Centre.

"The consultant and Boscombe stakeholders then did an excellent job developing the bid."