Bournemouth Conservatives - West

23/10/2026

BCP Council’s Savings Problems Didn’t Start This Year…. Were the Warning Signs Missed?

18/10/2026

Cllr John Beesley was among those at Poole Park speaking out against the ongoing roadworks along Whitecliff Road and into the park.

We share the concerns about spending £250,000 on work that many residents believe is not essential. Most local residents didn’t want this, yet the current Lib Dem led administration has pushed it through regardless, despite having run out of money for the things residents really want.

At a time when BCP Council is facing a serious financial crisis, every pound of public money needs to be carefully considered. That money could have made a practical difference elsewhere, improving uneven pavements and paths, making crossings safer, adding dropped kerbs for people with mobility needs, or helping create safer walking and cycling routes to schools and local facilities.

These are examples of the kinds of active travel improvements residents rely on every day. The question is whether this was the best use of £250,000 when other needs across our communities remain unmet. What do you think?

Credit to Richard McLaughlin Bournemouth Daily Echo

18/10/2026

A big thank you to Westbourne Rotary for organising Saturday’s litter pick. Councillors John Beesley and David d’Orton-Gibson joined volunteers outside M&S at 10am on Saturday to help tidy Westbourne’s three car parks and the flower beds in the heart of the area.

Rotary Club of Westbourne is a really active part of our local community, and it was lovely to see people giving up their time to help keep Westbourne looking its best. Thank you to everyone who took part! 🌿

11/10/2026

Michael Labidi our Bournemouth Town Councillor shaping the future of Bournemouth, one decision at a time reviewing the latest planning and licensing applications as Vice-Chair of the committee.

Every decision matters, from encouraging investment and supporting local businesses to protecting our town’s future. Bournemouth has enormous potential and he is committed to helping unlock it.

11/10/2026

“The law gave us no choice”? BCP needs to show its working on SOBO Beach

BCP is proposing a 20 year lease for the Sobo Beach site but residents are being told the law left the council no choice. They are entitled to ask, which law exactly and where is that explained?

Council Leader Millie Earl says national legislation means BCP cannot extend SOBO’s lease on a rollover basis and that sites like this must be offered to the market. Interesting given BCP did not use an open market process for the Wessex Fields land sale. The Cross Party Asset Disposal Working Group initially called for an open sale while the Overview and Scrutiny Board later supported a direct sale to University Hospitals Dorset. Cabinet recommended that route and Full Council approved it. Wessex Fields was a different case but it shows BCP has used both approaches. Why does the council say an open competition was unavoidable for SOBO?

Government guidance says the Procurement Act 2023 tendering rules do not apply to contracts for renting land. That may not settle this case. The SOBO agreement could include other obligations or BCP may be following separate council rules but the council’s public report refers to the Local Government Act 1972 and says it must obtain the best value it reasonably can for the land. It does not explain publicly why the Procurement Act required this competition or ruled out a temporary lease.

The Local Government Act treats a lease of up to seven years differently under its rule about the best price a council can obtain. That does not give SOBO an automatic right to stay and it does not remove the extra requirements that apply because the site is open space. But it leaves a fair question: was a temporary lease considered and if so what specific rule ruled it out?

There is also a planning detail residents should know. In August 2025 BCP’s planning committee resolved to grant permission for the existing temporary beach dining and bar use and structures to remain until 31 October 2027. This is not permission for a permanent development and it does not guarantee a new operator can occupy the site but it matters when asking whether a gap in trading is unavoidable.

BCP says the preferred bidder offered the highest guaranteed and projected rent along with strong financial standing and hospitality experience an established local presence and plans to improve the visitor offer. The detailed bid assessments are confidential so residents cannot see how the bids were scored how much weight was given to projected rent or how the council tested whether those forecasts were realistic.

BCP says social value and community benefits were considered too. Residents deserve to know how those factors were weighed against the financial offer and how the council valued a venue used all year by swimmers community groups and charities as well as people who rely on it as a place to connect.

This is not a demand for councillors to interfere with bid scores or award a 20 year lease on popularity alone. It is a demand to know whether realistic alternatives were examined before a decision with a 20 year impact was put forward.

BCP published a notice about the proposed lease and invited residents to respond. How many responses or objections came in and how were they considered? Why was a 20 year term chosen? What is the plan to avoid a prolonged closure?

If the law left BCP no choice the council should show residents the legal basis instead of leaving them to rely on a slogan. Before this decision is treated as inevitable, BCP must show its working.

10/10/2026

Could a new tourist tax push local hospitality businesses over the edge?

08/10/2026

LABOUR SEES AN ASSET TO TAX. CONSERVATIVES SEE A FAMILY HOME.

Here is a clear dividing line between Labour and the Conservatives. Labour believes that when somebody dies, the state should be entitled to a substantial share of what they leave behind. Conservatives believe people who work, save and provide for their families should be allowed to pass on more of what they have built.

Kemi Badenoch has now made that choice clear. The next Conservative government will remove inheritance tax from the main family home when it is passed to children or grandchildren. It will also raise the general tax-free allowance from £325,000 to £500,000 per person, meaning a couple could leave a further £1 million in other assets without inheritance tax.

Labour will inevitably describe this as a tax cut for the wealthy. That argument confuses the value of a property with the income of the person living in it. Here in Bournemouth West, someone may have purchased their home many years ago for a fraction of its current value. They have not engineered the rise in house prices and they may live on a perfectly ordinary income. A property valuation is not a bank balance.

Why should their children face a tax bill because the postcode became more expensive Inheritance tax also rewards those who understand how to navigate it. The richest can employ advisers, reorganise their assets and plan many years ahead. Those with most of their wealth tied up in one family home do not have the same freedom.

The Conservative principle is straightforward: government should reward responsibility, encourage home ownership and allow families to build security across generations. Kemi has also resisted the easy option of promising immediate full abolition without explaining how it would be funded. Protecting the family home comes first. Full abolition remains the ambition when the public finances allow it. That is the difference.

Labour looks at rising property values and sees another opportunity to collect tax. Conservatives see the home you earned, the family you built it for and the legacy you should be free to leave.

07/10/2026

Planning decisions should stay close to home.

A planning application can change the look and feel of a neighbourhood for years to come. Residents need a meaningful voice, and their elected councillors should be able to bring local concerns to the table.

From 31 October, a new national scheme will narrow which applications can be considered by planning committees. It will also prevent councils from using some local arrangements, such as a ward councillor’s request or a set number of objections, to trigger committee consideration.

We have joined Conservative councillors from across the country in calling on the Prime Minister to rethink the changes. Planning rules may be national but the impact of each development is felt locally.

There’s also an open UK Parliament petition calling on the Government to rescind the regulations. You can sign it here⁠ 🔗 https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/777125

Local communities deserve a real say in the places they call home.

The draft Town and Country Planning (Discharge of Local Planning Authority Functions) (England) Regulations 2026 remove the ability for district councillors in planning committees to give input on almost all planning applications.

06/10/2026

Could you be a councillor?

Every community needs people willing to step forward, listen and help shape its future. Could you be one of them?

Councillors come from all walks of life. What matters is caring about your area and wanting to make a difference for the people who live there. You can represent residents, tackle local issues and help hold the council to account. Training and support are provided.

If you’ve ever thought, “I wish someone would do something about that,” perhaps it’s time to find out what you could do.

The 2027 local elections may feel a way off, but now’s a good time for an informal, no-obligation chat about becoming a Conservative councillor.

📩 Email [email protected] to find out more.