Surf’s up ..prices up
Sunday Mirror, Aug 12, 2007
THE UK’s first artificial surf reef being built in Boscombe, Dorset, is making waves not just with water sport enthusiasts but also with property investors.
The town – which is also undergoing an pounds 8million regeneration of its pier and seafront – is becoming a must-see destination, which makes it an ideal investment opportunity for company lets, holiday rentals and student digs…
DESPITE its many attractions, Boscombe has long been overshadowed by neighbouring Bournemouth, which is reflected in its lower property prices. Yet it boasts golden, sandy beaches, wooded ravines – called chines – running right down to the sea, an Art Deco pier and stunning views to the Isle of Wight and beyond.
Rich Londoners holidayed here in the 1800s and it was named Boscombe Spa because water from the nearby spring was said to be a health tonic. But since the 1970s and the arrival of cheap package holidays abroad, Boscombe’s been on the decline. The pier closed down, and an increasing number of once grand Victorian houses and hotels became bedsits and hostels.
However, the tide has turned and Boscombe has shed its slightly seedy reputation, emerging as an exciting place to be – and to buy – in its own right. Thanks to the pounds 8million regeneration project, it is being transformed into a stylish, modern resort. The pier is being renovated, hostels are being converted into holiday apartments, the Victorian pleasure gardens are being rebuilt, the Gothic Opera House has been restored – and there’s a buzz in the air.
Such is the feel-good factor that the area around the seafront has readopted its original name, and is known as Boscombe Spa Village. It’s now a hub of activity, as restaurants and trendy bars are replacing run-down cafes, new shops are opening, and contemporary, architect-designed apartments are springing up on the seafront and along the cliffs.
SEA CHANGE
IT’S the artificial surf reef that’s due to be built shortly which is making the real splash in Boscombe. Costing around pounds 1.4million, it will be the first artificial reef in Europe and only the fifth in the world – there are two in Australia, one in New Zealand and one in California – and is expected to attract surfers from far and wide. Created by submerging carefully positioned, sandfilled bags on the sea bed, it is designed to push up the existing waves rather than creating new ones, and will double Boscombe’s good surfing days from approximately 153 to more than 300.
“The reef will be located to the east of Boscombe Pier and 225m out to sea,” says Mark Smith, Bournemouth’s head of tourism. “Work is scheduled to start in the autumn. It should take 30 days but as we need very calm seas, we’ve allowed for the fact that we’ll only be able to work one day out of three, so it should be ready for action in the spring. The whole regeneration project, including the reef, will boost tourism, ex tend the season and attract second- home owners.”
HOMES BY SEA
THE effect of all this regeneration has been keenly felt in the property market. Barratt Homes were the first to jump on the bandwagon, and are constructing Honeycombe Beach, a development of 169 one-and two bedroom apartments on the site of a former car park, right on the seafront
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