Boscombe Surf Reef Conflict on the Dorset

Question 1

Information

Answer 1

• Boscombe’s new surf reef is 2.5km from Bournemouth pier
• It was completed in 2008
• Large sand geotextile bags have been laid over a hectare of sea floor
• It forces waves to break out to sea and creates a greater wave height so that surfing can take place
• £1.4 million in costs
• Flats, restaurants, cafes and shops have also been developed in what was previously a run down area
• 10,000 surfers a year could be attracted
• These spend 8% more than average tourists
• Council expects to earn £10 million annually
• 60 full time and 30 part time jobs created
• But noisy for locals, especially for elderly retired people, as surfers are young (so may have more hoody culture to deal with!!!)
• Also most surfers will not pay to stay in local hotels
• Car parking shortages
• Some people argue that this quantity of money should not have been spent on a minority sport