BCP Council Beach Checking App: Was It Successful?

And now the app is rolling out nationwide, helping the council achieve its goal of becoming the UK’s premier ‘smart place’.

But how does the app work and how has it helped?

ALL ABOUT THE APP

Development of the app began in July last year with the aim of reducing congestion on parts of the area’s beaches.

Its objective was to provide information on the activity of certain sections of the waterfront, as well as the facilities there.

At the time, the board’s chief executive, Graham Farrant, said: “The app will divide the beach into 26 different sections and identify which ones are crowded and which aren’t.”

The app had a live traffic light system, if part of a beach was particularly busy it would show red, if it was moderately busy it would be amber and if it was relatively quiet it would be green .

After his release, the then head of the council, Cllr Vikki Slade, said: “We want to make sure that everyone who comes to our shores stays as safe as possible.

“It’s not hard to see why so many people flock to our beaches each year and we’ve seen just how popular our destinations can be.

“However, we want to make sure that those who come here take their own safety and well-being seriously and that is the purpose of developing this app.

“If you arrive, you can just click a few buttons and check which beaches have the capacity to accommodate more visitors.”

FINANCING THE APPLICATION

Within days of its release, BCP Council received £ 34,000 to add additional functionality to the app.

Funding came from the Local Digital Collaboration Unit and local government as part of the Covid-19 Local Digital Challenge.

Cllr Slade said: “The allocated funds will be reinvested to further develop the functionality of the application: automate and increase the frequency of data collected from its current level of three times per day to allow real-time updates and increased precision.

“With the help of this app and the additional measures and plans we have put in place for this summer, we are extremely happy to welcome back all visitors who wish to respect, protect and enjoy our beautiful seaside resort. ”

The app was further developed in May this year, allowing users to see if any locations are temporarily closed and how many spaces are available in a number of parking lots managed by the BCP council, helping them to plan their trip. .

They can also find out where the toilets are and where they can walk their dog.

Prior to that, the council had received an additional £ 40,000 to develop the app, which is set to go national.

The MHCLG Local Digital Fund provided the money so that the app could be extended to other cities in the UK.

At the time, BCP Council Tourism Portfolio Holder Cllr Mohan Iyengar said, “We are preparing for a good number of visitors this summer as the lockdown is relaxed and people can travel. The app will be invaluable, helping people make good choices about where to be – avoid the busiest places, stay away and be safe.

“The future looks especially bright once we can use the app to potentially point people to different events and attractions at our Coast Live Festival based on their contributions.

“Overall it’s a help to stay safe, build confidence and really boost our tourism business for everyone involved. ”

THE UK’S SMART PLACE LEADER

Providing an update on the app, Deputy Chief and Portfolio Holder for Regeneration to the BCP Council, Cllr Philip Broadhead said the app has helped the city be at the forefront of digital solutions.

He said: “Our Beach App, chosen by the government to be rolled out nationwide, is a great example of how we are using our Smart Place program to ensure we are at the forefront of the how future digital solutions can be used to improve how we live, work and connect.

“We want to go beyond these services traditionally provided by municipalities, and we can do so by placing the local place at the center of our plans and by offering a wider and richer set of new innovative services to our residents.

“Whether it’s making life easier for people in their day-to-day lives, improving the prospects for our local businesses, or enabling communities to function more efficiently, information, data and digital technologies will play a role. more and more important and important.

“Our ambition is to make Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole the UK’s premier Smart Place, helping to attract major private investments that allow us to create and retain more value in the local economy.

Have you downloaded the app, how successful do you think it was?