Surf reef plans create a wave of property price rises » Housing » 24dash.com

Plans to create Europe's first artificial surf reef along the south coast have seen property prices jump by up to 30%, an estate agent said today.

The £1.4 million reef is to be built along Boscombe seafront in Dorset in a bid to attract up to 10,000 surfers each year to the seaside town.

Sand-filled geotextile bags will be submerged east of Boscombe pier to create waves up to 13 feet high and double the number of good surfing days to more than 150 each year.

Andrew Emery, service development officer for the seafront, said: "It will put Boscombe on the map as a surfing resort. It will be a European first.

"There are no artificial surf reefs in the northern hemisphere. There are two in Australia, one in New Zealand and one is being built in America at present so this is the first in Europe and the northern hemisphere."

A block of luxury apartments on Boscombe seafront will be launched on March 24 as part of the regeneration scheme.

The Reef complex on Boscombe Spa Road has been designed in a horseshoe shape to maximise the sea views, with each apartment featuring at least one balcony or terrace.

Prices for the two and three bedroom apartments range from £250,000 to £925,000 for the penthouses which have air conditioning and hot tubs on large roof terraces.

Stephen Noble, the estate agent handling the sale of The Reef, said almost half of the luxury flats have already been sold.

He said the regeneration scheme and surf reef has already pushed property prices up by around 30% in the once neglected area of Bournemouth.

Property prices are predicted to continue rising along the Boscombe seafront once the regeneration work is completed.

Mr Noble, director at Stephen Noble and Lane Fox estate agents, said: "within the immediate catchment area of the regeneration of the pier and surf reef, prices have risen by about 30% over the course of the last 18 months as people started talking about it.

"It's a very exciting time in Boscombe. Seaside towns in this country are in need of a push. The one thing about Bournemouth and this regeneration is that this area is bucking the national trend of seaside resorts.

"Bournemouth and Boscombe are on the up rather than a lot of seaside towns."

The neglected pier at Boscombe is one of only 55 piers remaining in the country and has seen little investment since the 1950s.

A building at the end of the pier has been closed since 1989, and the rest of the pier was closed in October 2005 for safety reasons.

The £8 million surfing themed regeneration project, the Boscombe Spa Village scheme, started with work on the listed entrance building to Boscombe Pier which was due to reopen this Easter.

The project will also see a restaurant with panoramic sea views created along the seafront and a Mediterranean style piazza and open air events space in front of the pier.

The pier will have a viewing platform next to the surf reef and a heritage display.

In a break with tradition, there will not be any amusement arcades but there will be surfing themed shops, art and sculpture instead.

The reef will be installed between May and August and ready to use by September this year.

It is being made using tough, 100ft long sandbags which will create a surf reef of around two and a half acres, 245 yards offshore.

The reef will give beginner and intermediate surfers a 71-yard ride with waves from one-and-a-half to 13ft high.

The project also includes improved changing facilities and 42 "super chalets" for purchase and hire.

Bosses at Bournemouth Borough Council hope the project will create around 60 full-time and 30 part-time jobs with the extra demand for surf equipment, training, accommodation, food, drink and entertainment.

A council economic impact assessment suggested publicity surrounding the reef will create an image value of £10 million per year for the resort.

Five million visitors come to Bournemouth each year, generating around £77 million in revenue.

The council funded the project mainly through selling a seafront car park to be redeveloped into 169 apartments.

Copyright Press Association 2007

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