BCP Council has announced an additional £400,000 investment to upgrade more than 20 local parks and play areas across Bournemouth and Poole. This funding, confirmed on 19 May 2026, will provide families with new facilities such as swings, seesaws, slides, and BMX tracks.
One of the largest funding allocations, totalling £200,000, is dedicated to the Charter Road play area in Bearwood. The project will replace older equipment and modernise the site’s BMX facilities to better accommodate the needs of the growing local community.
This initiative is part of the seventh round of the Neighbourhood Community Infrastructure Levy. This levy is a planning charge paid by developers that is ringfenced for projects in the areas where new housing development occurs. Across the seventh round, more than £1.4 million has been allocated to 81 community projects throughout the region.
These park improvements are part of the broader Plan for Play, a multi-year strategy adopted in 2024 to repair and upgrade over 120 play spaces across Bournemouth, Christchurch, and Poole. The plan is overseen by portfolio holders Cllr Sandra Moore, who leads on the play strategy, and Cllr Andy Hadley, who oversees parks and gardens.
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