Residents invited to shape BCP's first ever heritage strategy
11 August 2026 · By Boroughly editorial — AI-assisted, human-reviewed.
BCP Council has opened a public consultation on what it describes as its first Heritage Strategy — a document intended to set the direction for how Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole's historic environment is protected and celebrated in the years ahead.
For Poole residents, the strategy is a chance to put the town's distinctive maritime heritage on the record: the harbour, the Old Town quayside, and the fishing and trading traditions that shaped the area are all part of the story the council hopes to capture. The strategy will sit alongside the council's planning and cultural policies, potentially influencing decisions about listed buildings, conservation areas and heritage-led regeneration.
The consultation is open to residents, businesses, community groups, heritage organisations and visitors. The council wants to hear which places, buildings and stories people most value — and what they think should be priorities for the future.
Full details of the consultation, including how to respond, are on the BCP Council heritage strategy page. The consultation covers the whole BCP area, so Poole responses will be weighed alongside those from Bournemouth and Christchurch.
If heritage and conservation issues matter to you — or you simply want Poole's past to be better reflected in its future — this is a straightforward way to have a say.