Maria Lonardi

BCP Council

From 1 April 2019, BCP Council is responsible for all local government services in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole. We provide services to around 400,000 residents from Hamworthy and Broadstone in the west to Highcliffe in the east - the twelfth largest resident population of any council in England. This scale means a higher percentage of our budget can be spent on frontline services, and less on management overheads and back-office support. As a new, large council, only created in April 2019, we have an opportunity to think as one area for business, growth, and the prosperity of all who live here. Our scale means we can more easily plan for, bid for and win extra funding for things that are important to the people who live and work in BCP, such as housing, roads and schools. We're going through a period of great change – reviewing how we deliver services and how we make sure this fantastic area of Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole continues to thrive.