Almost 100 local residents attended a town hall meeting hosted by Bournemouth West MP Jessica Toale on Saturday 1 March to discuss concerns about the town centre and hear about government plans to help address these.
The conversation covered a range of concerns around the town centre, including crime and public safety, the future of retail, town centre cleanliness, and the impact of transport and infrastructure changes. Chief of Neighbourhood Policing Darren Harris was also in attendance to answer questions about crime prevention and community policing efforts.
As part of her commitment to town centre safety, Ms Toale is hosting an upcoming International Women’s Day event on Thursday 6 March 2025, which will include a walk around the town centre to discuss women's safety and explore solutions with local partners.
Ms Toale explained that town centre regeneration will be a core focus over the coming months. “We’re tackling local priorities in phases to ensure real progress is made. Over the past two months, we've focused on housing, given the high volume of casework and resident concerns. In March and April, our attention is shifting to the town centre.”
Residents welcomed the opportunity to share their views. One attendee said, “It was good to meet other people in the area or from the area and just hear everyone's ideas and perspectives and the main issues that came up.” Many spoke about safety in the town centre, with another adding, “We talked quite a lot about feeling safe in the town centre, and what we can do to attract more local people to the town centre.”
Others felt the event was long overdue. “We’ve had MPs in the past who talk a big talk but don’t necessarily carry on with taking public perception forward. At least that’s starting to happen with Jessica. I’m hopeful some good things will come out of (the town hall).”
Ms Toale reassured residents that their voices would play a key role in shaping future plans. “By the end of these two months, my goal – and you can hold me to account for this – is to get the council to a place where there's a genuine process for citizens to be involved in developing the action plan and the priorities for our town centre. That's my commitment to you today and that's what I want to see happen over the next few months.”
The town hall meeting followed a series of successful housing ‘super surgeries’ in West Howe, Alderney, and Winton.
For those unable to attend, concerns can still be raised via email at jessica.toale.mp@parliament.uk, and residents can sign up for Jessica Toale’s newsletter for updates on future events: jessicatoale.com/newsletter
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