Boscombe Spa regeneration plans to to include a high-class restaurant

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The people of Boscombe in Dorset will be pleased to hear that the ground floor of the Overstrand building by the pier has been handed over. Mark Cribb, the entrepeneur behind the boutique Urban Beach Hotel on Sea Road, is set to open a restaurant called Urban Reef.

Mr Cribb confirmed the the establishment will be on three levels with sea views over the pier plus an 80-seat open-air terrace all opening in the last week of April.

On the ground floor there will be an open-plan kitchen and deli counter featuring New Forest and Dorset  produce. Upstairs there will be a high-roofed room partly split into two levels, with seating booths, log fire, and hanging lights. The menu will be changed every 12 weeks.

Mr Cribb plans to recruit another 50 staff for the restaurant and the hotel, which is very good news in terms of local employment. In addition to the Urban Reef restaurant, the ground floor of the Overstrand will  accommodate a council office, an office for the RNLI, two Sorted Surf Shop units, toilets and showers. The council is currently fitting out the Wayne Hemmingway designed “surf pods” on the top two floors – plus modern huts, each with unique designs with services such as running water, sewerage and electricity. The regenreration of the Overstrand is designed to take advantage of the buzz created by the partly-constructed surf reef.

Pam Donnellan was impressed and added: “What amazes me is the number of people from all over the country who have heard about the surf reef."  The land-based work is scheduled to be completed by May.

Whilst the council has been criticised for delays and cost overruns, Roger Brown from leisure services said: “People will start to get a better idea of what the project is all about when it is opened.”

In addition the old Neptune building next to the pier is being refurbished, complete with original turrets, and will be turned into a Harvester pub, much to Bournemouth Borough council's delight.