BCP Projects · Parks & Open Spaces
Past Projects
We have been bringing you news of improvements to our parks, playgrounds, heathlands, nature reserves and other open spaces for more than 15 years now! The most recently completed projects are listed below, but you can also view our archive listings dating back to 2007
Completed 2018-2023
| PROJECT | Ward* | Budget | Completed | About |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Poole Park Railway | Poole Town | £480,000 | Oct 2022 | Project details |
| Branksome Woods pathway improvements | Canford Cliffs | £2,000 | Aug 2022 | Project details |
| Joy Café & community hub, Churchill Gardens | Boscombe West | £149,000 ++ | Jul 2022 | Project details |
| Shared Use Path to Learoyd Road, Poole | Canford Heath | £30,000 | Spring 2022 | Project details |
| Evening Hill Tree Work | Canford Cliffs | £30,800 | Spring 2022 | Project details |
| Sherborn Open Space play area - new slide | Canford Heath | £50,000 | Apr 2022 | Project details |
| Alexandra Park, a Future Parks 'Pilot Park' | Penn Hill | Funded by grants via The Parks Foundation | Dec 2021 | Project details |
| Poole Park Life | Poole Town | £2.7 million | Oct 2021 | Project website |
| Townside and Hunger Hill Public Realm improvements | Poole Town | Part of a £9.6 million project | Mar 2021 | Project details |
| Selkirk Close Play Area improvements | Merley & Bearwood | £102,621 | Jan 2021 | Project details |
| Chaldon Road / Puddletown Crescent Play Area | Canford Heath East | £51,000 | Sept 2020 | Project details |
| Upton Country Park SANG expansion, Final Phase | Hamworthy | TBC | July 2020 | Project details |
| Arne Crescent Play Area | Alderney & Bourne Valley | £86,150 | July 2020 | Project details |
| Alexandra Park improvements | Penn Hill | £95,000 | Nov 2019 | Project details |
| Upton Country Park Adventure Play | Hamworthy | £230,000 | Oct 2019 | Project details |
| Coy Pond Gardens improvements 2019 | Talbot & Branksome Woods | TBC | Oct 2019 | Project details |
| Hamworthy Park Paddling Pool Refurbishment | Hamworthy | £381,000 | Jul 2019 | Project details |
| Foreland Road play area, Turlin Moor | Hamworthy | £99,231 | Jul 2019 | Project details |
| Sandbanks Play Area | Canford Cliffs | TBC | Apr 2019 | Project details |
| Branksome Recreation Ground | Branksome West | £150,000 | Jan 2019 | Project details |
| Oakdale Open Space improvements 2017-2019 | Oakdale | £51,230 | TBC | Project details |
| Hamworthy Park Improvements | Hamworthy East | £81,752 | Apr 2018 | Project details |
| Blake Hill Viewpoint | Penn Hill | £34,000 | Apr 2018 | Project details |
| The Great Heath projects | N/A | £4.7 million | Apr 2018 | Project details |
| Springdale & Broadstone Rec Play Improvements | Broadstone | £40,270 | Mar 2018 | Project details |
| Long Lease Offer to Broadstone Cricket Club | Broadstone | N/A | Jan 2018 | Project details |
| * Ward names shown for projects carried out before April 2019 represent pre-BCP Council Wards. | ||||
| ** please refer to our Project Funding page for information. | ||||
Project Archive
The bcpprojects.net website (previously pooleprojects.net) has been through three incarnations since 2007; below is a list of projects undertaken during that time
Ward names shown below represent Borough of Poole wards (pre-BCP Council)
Projects completed 2007-2017
| PROJECT | Ward | Budget | Funding Source | Completed | About |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | |||||
| Poole Park Life, development phase | Poole Town | tba | Heritage Lottery | Jan 2017 | Much of 2014-2016 was spent developing a £2.7 million Heritage Lottery Funding Bid for Poole Park; success was confirmed in June 2017 when the team moved into a 4 year delivery phase of agreed improvements |
| Sterte Green play area | Poole Town | £82,000 | LCF, PHP & PObs | Jul 2017 | Sterte Community Garden Association raised the funding and selected the design of a new play area for the 450 residents living close to Sterte Green |
| 2016 | |||||
| Merley & Bearwood open space improvements | Merley & Bearwood | £31,796 | PObs | Jul 2016 | A range of site improvements and enhancements at Fenners Field in Merley Lane and at Selkirk Close, identified through formal assessment and consultation |
| Coy Pond Gardens improvements | Branksome East | £50,000 | PObs | Jul 2016 | A range of improvements to help preserve this special and historic site, including safeguarding the island, improving access, clearing vegetation and planting |
| Newtown Ward open space improvements 2014-2016 | Newtown | £433,228 | PObs | Jul 2016 | A range of landscape, play and access improvements made at Haskells Recreation Ground, Turners Nursery, Harford Road and Worbarrow Gardens |
| 2015 | |||||
| Bourne Valley Wheeled Play Area | Alderney | £188,000 | https://localtrust.org.uk/big-local/ | Oct 2015 | A community project created & managed by the Bourne Valley Action Group with Maverick Industries. Supported & maintained by BoP |
| Talbot View Natural Play | Branksome West | £9,395 | PObs | Oct 2015 | “The Castle” natural play space for 1-9 year olds, created in response to a request from local residents |
| Ashdown Athletics Track Club Hut | Canford Heath East | £98,958 | PObs + external sources | May 2015 | A new modular building for users of the Ashdown Athletics Track, replacing an old shipping container |
| Branksome Rec Play Area enhancements | Branksome West | £24,310 | PObs | May 2015 | Replacement of some of the older play equipment with installation of a new climbing frame and inclusive roundabout |
| Upton Country Park expansion Phase 1 | Creekmoor | tba | tba | Apr 2015 | A 25-acre extension to Poole’s only Country Park offering footpaths, wildflower meadow, dog training area and 24-space car park |
| 2014 | |||||
| Charborough Road cricket wicket | Broadstone | £7,000 | PObs | Oct 2014 | Replacement of the vandalised cricket wicket |
| Alexandra Park Footpath improvements | Parkstone | £65,000 | PObs | Jul 2014 | Improvements to the tarmac surface and edging of main access routes through and around the park and the installation of additional lighting |
| North Road Playing Field & linked open spaces, Parkstone | Parkstone | £120,000 | PObs | Apr 2014 | Improvements to the quality of and access to a previously unused open space on land leased from The Bournemouth and Poole College - creating the ‘The Bournemouth and Poole College Community Garden’ |
| Tuckers Field, Hamworthy | Hamworthy East | £20,000 | PObs | Mar 2014 | A new open space for Poole - the playing fields of the former Hamworthy First School transformed into a natural habitat site and local community garden |
| 2013 | |||||
| QEII Fields in Trust | Various | tba | QEII Fields in Trust | Aug 2013 | The formal protection of six outdoor recreational spaces across Poole as part of a nationwide campaign set up as a permanent living legacy of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee |
| Poole Park Tennis Courts | Poole Town | £140,000 | PObs & LTA | Jun 2013 | The complete refurbishment of the Tennis Courts at Poole Park, and the introduction of a specialist access key system court |
| Stanley Green Park, Christopher Crescent | Oakdale | £60,000 | PObs & PHP | Jun 2013 | The transformation of the open space at Christopher Crescent into a community park, including natural habitat for wildlife, natural play features and a ball court |
| Evening Hill access improvements | Penn Hill | £18,000 | PObs | Jun 2013 | New tarmac footpath, other footpath improvements, rebuilding of steps |
| Upton Country Park play & recreation - Phase Two | Creekmoor | £103,000 (over two phases) | PObs4, BoP & FUCP | Feb 2013 | Jacks Wood and Grove Wood cleared of dense ground cover, new gates & railings installed,a new entrance and footpath and a natural timber Play Trail created |
| 2012 | |||||
| Diamond Jubilee Planting -oak trees throughout Poole | All | tba | Council planting budget | Nov 2012 | Seventeen oak trees - one in each ward in the Borough - were planted with the help of local school children over a nine day period |
| Green Road play area | Poole Town | £110,000 | PObs & PHP | Jul 2012 | A massively improved play area in Old Town Poole, designed in consultation with the local community |
| Upton Country Park Walled Garden make-over | Creekmoor | £180,000 | PObs4 & FUCP | Jun 2012 | Extensive range of improvements to allow the Walled garden to be used all year round for a variety of events |
| Poole Park Pavilion | Poole Town | £160,000 | tbc | Jun 2012 | Refurbishment of Poole’s only Victorian Pavilion, providing modern user facilities |
| Branksome Recreation Ground outdoor fitness trail | Branksome West | £40,000 | PObs | May 2012 | The latest additions to the growing range of outdoor fitness equipment across Poole |
| Upton Country Park play & recreation - Phase One | Creekmoor | £103,000 total project | PObs4 | Apr 2012 | The first phase of a project to attract more people to the park, encourage them to stay longer and create a wider range of interest This phase cleared large areas of woodland |
| The new Seldown Park | Poole Town | £213,200 | PObs | Apr 2012 | Improvements to the landscaping fronting the Everyone Active Leisure Centre, creating a new public open space |
| Playbuilder Year 2 | Various | £370,000 | Playbuilder | Apr 2012 | The last seven of 18 Playbuilder funded improvements for 8-13 year olds |
| Outdoor fitness equipment across the Borough | Canford Heath East, Hamworthy & Canford Cliffs | £65,000 | PCT | Mar 2012 | Provision of new outdoor fitness equipment at four sites in Poole, funded by the Primary Care Trust |
| 2011 | |||||
| Bourne Valley play area, Alderney | Alderney | £99,999 | External funding | Sep 2011 | A new children's play area for Bourne Valley Park, a project conceived & led by local residents |
| Treasure Island play area, Canford Cliffs | Canford Cliffs | £100,000 | PObs + external funding | Aug 2011 | A new children's play area installed at the top of Smuggler's & Canford Cliffs Chines |
| Everyone Active: Ashdown outdoor sports facilities | Canford Heath East | £337,000 | PObs3 + external funding | Jun 2011 | Significant improvements to the existing outdoor facilities at Ashdown Leisure Centre |
| Ashley Cross Green (previously known as Parkstone Park) | Parkstone | £360,000 | PObs | Jun 2011 | Refurbishment of the footpaths, installation of a new (replacement) fountain, petanque terrain, performance space & play path |
| Poole Crematorium Memorial Art project | n/a | £20,000 | Private donation | Jun 2011 | A quiet space with bespoke seating, water feature and poetry |
| Millfield Rebound Wall | Creekmoor | £22,531 | PObs + community funds | Jun 2011 | A new sports wall installed at Millfield Recreation Ground |
| Trinidad Boys Club MUGA | Newtown | £100,000 | PObs | Jun 2011 | A new multi-use games area (MUGA) on land beside Trinidad Boys Club (now known as Trinidad Community Hall |
| Poole Park artificial cricket wicket | Poole Town | £9,000 | PObs2 | Apr 2011 | Artificial wicket for Poole Town Cricket Club and their junior section |
| Canford Heath Management Plan | tba | tba | Mar 2011 | The Plan sets out the statutory protection for habitats, wildlife and archaeological features | |
| Talbot Drive Play Area | Branksome | £37,000 | PObs | Mar 2011 | A brand new play area at Wallisdown Recreation Ground |
| Sherborn Crescent BMX dirt ramps | Canford Heath East | £15,000 | IHMF | Feb 2011 | BMX dirt ramps created a short distance from the youth shelter and existing skate ramps |
| Dolphin Pool Boom | Poole Town | £30,000 | PObs | Jan 2011 | A project to install a boom to create a 25m competition standard pool. Funding partner ASA (Swim England) - total cost £100,000 |
| 2010 | |||||
| Oakdale Community Park | Oakdale | £170,000 | PObs | June 2010 | An inviting & attractive public open space created from a former school football pitch |
| Luscombe Valley Nature Reserve | Penn Hill & Canford Cliffs | £9,350 | PObs | June 2010 | Installation of a boardwalk and other small improvements |
| Canford Heath Fire Hydrants | Canford Heath East & West | £11,000 | IHMF | June 2010 | A project aimed at limiting the damage caused by heathland fires |
| Broadstone Community Arts Centre | Broadstone | £8,000 | PObs | June 2010 | Improvements to public access & landscaping of the garden |
| Playbuilder Year 1 | Various | £525,487 | Playbuilder | June 2010 | The first 11 of 18 Playbuilder funded improvements for 8-13 year olds |
| Alderney West MUGA | Alderney | £125,000 | PObs & PHP | Jan 2010 | Multi Use Games Area created in the car park fronting Alderney West Community Centre |
| 2009 | |||||
| Alexandra Park Entrances | Penn Hill | £150,000 | PObs | Oct 2009 | Three impressive brick built entrances with lighting to mark the park's Centenary |
| Talbot Village Roundabout | Branksome East | £5,300 | Poole in Bloom | Aug 2009 | New, low maintenance design |
| Hamworthy Outdoor Education Centre (HOEC) | Hamworthy East | £28,000 | PObs | Jul 2009 | Purchase of a mobile climbing wall & ancillary equipment for use across the Borough for youth groups, fund-raising activities, etc. |
| Hamworthy Park Play Area | Hamworthy East | £120,000 | PObs | Jul 2009 | Completely refurbished & extended play facilities for ages 9 yrs+ |
| Sandbanks Play Area | Canford Cliffs | £120,000 | PObs | Jul 2009 | New additions to the sand filled play space beside the car park |
| Hamworthy Park Paddling Pool | Hamworthy East | £15,000 | tba | Jun 2009 | The base of the pool was shot blasted to remove loose material then repaired & painted. |
| Fossilised Tree Stump, Branksome Chine | Beaches | tba | tba | May 2009 | An ancient fossilised tree stump, found on the beach and believed to date back 140 million years, put on permanent display - read more ... |
| Whitecliff Recreation Ground Play Area | Parkstone | £220,000 | PObs | May 2009 | Full refurbishment to suit a wide age range, including a large new sand play area |
| Pinecliff Gardens Wildlife Sculpture Trail | Canford Cliffs | £60,000 | PObs | May 2009 | Wildlife footpath, play sculpture trail and schools' art project |
| Longfleet Drive | Canford Heath West | £39,500 | IHMF | May 2009 | Improvements including rhododendron clearance & footpath construction |
| Longmeadow Lane Woods, Upton | Creekmoor | £35,500 | IHMF | May 2009 | Footpaths, gates, bridges, ponds & interpretation |
| Green Gyms for Green Spaces | Poole Town | tbc | PObs & LPSA | Apr 2009 | A new outdoor fitness and activity route |
| Carter Community School informal BMX track | Hamworthy East | £2,000 | SNT | Mar 2009 | Soil ramps and signs. Advisory role only. £1000 pa funding for next 3 years |
| 2008 | |||||
| Hamworthy Park Tennis Court Fencing | Hamworthy East | £6,000 | PObs | Dec 2008 | |
| Sherborn Crescent Youth Shelter | Canford Heath East | £10,000 | SPP | Nov 2008 | Delivered in partnership with Canford Heath SNT |
| Charter Road Play Area Improvements | Merley & Bearwood | £10,000 | PObs | Nov 2008 | Streets signs being investigated |
| Poole Park Cygnet Play Area | Poole Town | £4,000 | FoPP | Jul 2008 | Wooden train & passenger wagon. Surfacing concerns (wear & tear on grass) addressed January 2009 |
| Scott Road Open Space | Alderney | £28,000 | IHMF | Jul 2008 | Rebound Wall, Nursery Circle & Seating. Underspend contributed to footpath fund |
| Harford Road Open Space | Newtown | £22,206 | PObs | Jul 2008 | Rebound Wall. Landscaping completed Nov 2008 |
| St George's Field Play Area, Phase 2 | Oakdale | £25,000 | PObs | Jul 2008 | New toddler equipment. Play complete, budget balance available for lighting |
| Hamworthy Park Beach | Hamworthy East | £6,000 | PObs | Jun 2008 | Access handrails. Final cost £1,938.75 |
| Branksome Rec | Branksome West | £50,000 | PObs | Jun 2008 | Climbing Wall |
| Rossmore School Dance Studio | Alderney | £15,000 | PObs | Jun 2008 | Contribution to removing bar and lay sprung floor for new dance studio. Delivered by others |
| Canford Arena sports pitches | Bearwood | £7,250 | PObs | Jun 2008 | Contribution to sand slitting to improve drainage. Delivered by others |
| Turlin Moor Pavilion Play Area Improvements | Hamworthy West | £12,000 | PObs | Jun 2008 | Final cost £11,021 |
| Foreland Road Play Area Improvements | Hamworthy West | £10,000 | PObs | May 2008 | Final cost £9,995 |
| Branksome Rec Play Area Improvements | Branksome West | £10,000 | PObs | May 2008 | Final cost £9,999 |
| Delph Woods Cricket Pavilion | Broadstone | £10,000 | PObs | May 2008 | Contribution, project delivered by others |
| Turlin Moor Footpath | Hamworthy West | £8,000 | PObs | May 2088 | Final cost £7,972 |
| 2007 | |||||
| Bourne Valley Park (formerly Alderney Recreation Ground) | Alderney | £178,000 | PObs (£50k) + external BSP funding | Nov 2007 | Extensive landscape & land drainage work, seating, footpaths & small fishing lake. Final cost £180,768 |
| Beach Road Car Park Improvements | Canford Cliffs | £30,000 | PObs1 | Sep 2007 | |
| Turlin Moor Youth Shelter | Hamworthy West | £19,000 | PObs | Aug 2007 | |
| Sandbanks Recreation Ground (Phase 1) | Canford Cliffs | £180,000 | PObs1 | Jul 2007 | Sand area, Space Net & landscaping. Balance c/f to Phase 2 (2009) |
| Hamworthy Park Play Area (Phase 1) | Hamworthy East | £75,000 | PObs | Jun 2007 | Complete refurbishment of the young children and toddler play area |
| Kingston Road Play Area, Heckford Park | Poole Town | £130,000 | PObs | Jun 2007 | Complete refurbishment of the play area |
| Arne Avenue New MUGA & Play Area | Alderney | £135,000 | PObs | May 2007 | MUGA adopted & maintained by CYPS |
| Poole Park Islands | Poole Town | £200,000 | PObs | Apr 2007 | Dredged lake & created five islands in the lagoon (boating lake) to help address water quality issues. Budget includes planting |
| St George's Field Play Area | Oakdale | £50,000 | PObs | Jan 2007 | Refurbishment of play area & new Rebound Wall (Phase 1). Underspend c/f to Phase 2 (2008) |
| Canford Arena & Charborough Road Cricket Wickets | Merley Wood | £20,000 | PObs | Contribution, project delivered by others | |
| Broadstone Middle School Floodlights | Broadstone | £22,000 | PObs | Contribution, project delivered by others | |
| Poole Cycle Speedway | Poole Town | £22,000 | PObs | Contribution, project delivered by others |
Funding Sources
| Initials used | Description |
|---|---|
| BoP | Borough of Poole |
| BSP | Bourne Stream Partnership (2000-2007) incl. The Environment Agency, Borough of Poole, Bournemouth Borough Council, Natural England, Sembcorp Bournemouth Water, Wessex Water, Greenlink, Bournemouth University, Dorset Wildlife Trust, Bournemouth Oceanarium & Dorset Coast Forum |
| CYPS | Children & Young People's Services, Borough of Poole |
| Defra | Government Dept for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs |
| FoPP | Friends of Poole Park |
| FUCP | Friends of Upton Country Park |
| IHMF* | Interim Heathland Mitigation Fund (SAMM) |
| LCF | Landfill Communities Fund |
| LPSA | Local Public Service Agreement |
| LTA | Lawn Tennis Association |
| PCT | Primary Care Trust |
| PHP | Poole Housing Partnership |
| PObs* | S106 Planning Obligations (ward-based) |
| PObs2* | S106 Planning Obligations (beaches) |
| PObs3* | S106 Planning Obligations (Poole Park) |
| PObs4* | S106 Planning Obligations (Upton Country Park) |
| Playbuilder | Government funding 2009-2012 |
| SNT | Safer Neighbourhood Team |
| SPP | Safer Poole Partnership |
| * Please refer to our Project Funding page for further information | |
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