Client: Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council, March 2021 – present

When Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council was formed in April 2019, it became one of the largest Councils in the Country. In 2021 it made a commitment to deliver 15,000 homes and transform the place into a world-class city region – and it came to us for help because of our track record for fast results via the Be First housing initiative in the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham.

In March 2021 we produced a report for the council that demonstrated the size of this opportunity and the ways in which an Urban Regeneration Company could provide the means for the council to achieve its objectives. By May 2021 we had written a business case that enabled a council cabinet decision to press on with the plan. In autumn 2021, the council and Urban Regeneration Company will have together agreed a first business plan and a multi-year funding settlement.

The URC will initially work up 12 key sites across the area with a combined gross development value in excess of £2billion and capacity in excess of 3,500 homes – all of which embed key principles of the Better Building Beautiful commission report.

We project that implementation of the housing delivery plan would unlock economic opportunities that can drive local economic recovery, accelerate delivery of up to 13,000 additional homes and increase wider economic benefits for the community by up to £173m within 10 years. We calculate it will generate additional income for the council of up to £17m in one-off payments and an additional £6m in gross recurring annual income from Council Tax.

Our Impact

• Securing business case approval for the creation of an Urban Regeneration Company to accelerate delivery of housing and regeneration
• Preparing a portfolio of 12 sites with the capacity to deliver 3,500 additional homes within 10 years
• Preparing the initial business plan for the URC
• Preparing the Council team to work in partnership with the URC to enable accelerated delivery at scale.