Bournemouth seafront news

Beach Hut Booking 2012

Booking your Beach Hut for 2012 has been made easier. We’re phasing phone bookings over three days to reduce congestion and queueing times. Also if you make a second weekly off peak beach hut booking in 2012 you can enjoy a 20% discount (Off peak = all months excluding July and August).

To book a beach hut call 0845 055 0968.

To book a Beach Hut at Bournemouth East, Bournemouth West, Boscombe East and Boscombe West then please call on January 24th.

To book a Beach Hut at Southbourne or Fishermans Walk then please call on January 25th.

To book a Beach Hut for Alum Chine or Durley Chine then please call on January 26th.

New Accessible Beach Huts

The UK’s first purpose-built disabled accessible beach huts have now been opened on Boscombe seafront.

‘The Seagull and the Windbreak’ design by Peter Lewis and a:b:i:r Architects beat off worldwide competition from 173 international entries to design accessible beach huts for Boscombe. Voted for by the public, disabled beach users and a panel of seven expert judges, the buildings combine ergonomics with contemporary design.

Facilities in the four huts include, high colour contrast surfaces and flooring to assist the visually impaired, duel height kitchen units with a gas stove and a communal outside area with a fresh water fountain. An electric charging point for mobility scooters is also available as well as improved accessible toilets, parking and a wooden beach track way to enable easy access onto the sand. Adjacent huts featuring retractable partition walls can be booked together offering increased flexibility of space whilst individual huts accommodate up to four wheelchair users.

The beach huts are now open for bookings year round. Contact Boscombe Beach Office on 01202 451773, or go to www.bournemouth.gov.uk/seafront for more details. Huts can be hired by disabled groups and individuals by the day or week.

Coast Magazine's Great Pier Promenade

Coast magazine are running a Pier Campaign throughout 2011. Readers are asked to walk on as many British piers as possible in order to raise money for the restoration of Hastings Pier, which was destroyed by arsonists last year. Bournemouth and Boscombe pier both feature on the list for people to visit.

For more information regarding this campaign please visit www.allaboutyou.com/greatpierpromenade, or search for ‘The Great Pier Promenade’ on Facebook.