Residents, visitors and anyone who cares about the future of Swanage in Dorset have been giving their feedback on plans to save parts of the seafront from collapse and enhance the promenade, which may include closing Shore Road to traffic.
Since the launch of the public consultation at the beginning of May 2025, 300 people have completed the survey, while hundreds more attended the pop up engagement events at the Swanage Market and outside the Co-op on Friday 30th May 2025.
The Weather Station Field and Sandpit Field may look beautiful but the sandy soil is slipping down towards the sea
Subsiding due to ground slippage
Geological surveys show that Sandpit Field, the Weather Station Field and the Spa beach hut terrace, which run parallel to Shore Road and the seafront, are subsiding due to ground slippage.
There’s also growing concern over the lack of space for pedestrians walking along the seafront, right next to two way traffic and parked vehicles along Shore Road.
As the ground moves it causes the walls to crack
Many of the old Spa beach huts have been removed for safety leaving a sparse concrete area in the centre of Swanage seafront
Two options for the Green Seafront
Now Swanage Town Council is proposing two options for the area which it calls the Green Seafront:
- Option 1: An essential scheme costing £4.5 million which stabilises the ground but little more
- Option 2: An enhanced scheme costing £6.5 million, which stabilises the area, makes it more accessible for those using wheelchairs and prams, expands the space for events by filling in Walrond Road, provides a new toilet block, and refurbishes and extends the Spa beach hut area so there are 48 beach huts in total
The £4.5 million essential option
The £6.5 million enhanced option
Four options for Shore Road
The stretch of Shore Road included in the consultation is from Ocean Bay to the junction with Victoria Avenue.
Dorset Council, which will undertake any changes to Shore Road, is offering four options.
- Option 1: Full closure to public vehicles including no parking, dedicated cycle lanes, and very wide pavement areas. View option 1
- Option 2: One way closure with south bound traffic only, dedicated cycle lane, wide pavements on either side of the road, and no vehicle parking. View option 2
- Option 3: Two way traffic, relatively wide pavements on either side of the road, and no vehicle parking. View option 3
- Option 4: Do nothing (retain as it is)
For options 1, 2 and 3, Blue Badge parking will be provided along Victoria Avenue where it joins Shore Road.
The pavement along Shore Road is very narrow in places making it difficult for wheelchairs and prams
With parking along Shore Road it makes it narrow for two way traffic to pass
More information events
There are two more engagement events planned in June 2025 where the general public can find out more about the options and ask questions about the plans.
There will also be a chance to discuss the options for Shore Road with the team from Dorset Council highways who have been working behind the schemes drawing up the various traffic proposals.
- Tuesday 3rd June 2025: The Focus Centre (formerly known as the day centre) on the High Street from 10 am to 2 pm
- Wednesday 4th June 2025: The Mowlem, Shore Road, from 3.30 pm to 7.30 pm
The first engagement event to discuss the Green Seafront scheme was at Swanage’s Friday market
Swanage town mayor Mike Bonfield (centre) at the engagement event at the Co-op
“Chance to enhance our seafront for future generations”
Swanage town mayor Mike Bonfield who attended the first engagement events said:
“You’ve got to care about this consultation if you care about the future of Swanage. It’s a big project and it’s high cost but it is a chance to enhance our seafront for future generations.
“The views of the public are very important. The town council has no pre-conceived ideas and we genuinely want to hear what people think about the options.
“We then need to narrow down the options so we can do further studies to work out the detail on the preferred plans, so please do come along to our next engagement events at The Mowlem and The Focus Centre and fill out the survey.”
The survey will close on Sunday 29th June 2025
A lottery win would be nice to pay for the muti million pound scheme!
Further information
- Read all about the plans on the Dorset Coast Forum website
- Complete the consultation survey
- More about the plans on Swanage.News
