A BOURNEMOUTH IMPROVEMENT SCHEME.
[To THE EDITOR Or TUE " SPECTATOR?'
Sin,—The highly interesting article in the Spectator of April 30th on the Westminster Improvement Scheme in- duces me to draw your attention to a striking illustration of your conclusions now presented by this quiet and hitherto attractive seaside resort. The great charms of this place are the beautiful walk on the East Cliffs and the Bandy beach below. These have enabled the ground landlord to obtain enormous ground-rents for the finest sites on the cliffs. The ground landlord has suddenly made a provisional sale or lease of the East Cliffs, together with the beach and foreshore, to a company, who propose to make a broad drive and a walk on the shore, and in order to make this scheme remunerative, they intend to erect a row of houses on the landward side from pier to pier, say about a mile long. Other buildings on the shore are likewise contemplated. This scheme will spoil the attractions of the place, and causes much alarm. The tenants of Sir George Meyrick have expressed to him their conster- nation and serioui objections, while on March 24th last the Corporation represented to him that it "will prove to be a great disaster" to the interests of the town from which he derives a very large revenue. The plans are not yet published, but, from the pegging out on the cliffs, we can form some judgment of the vast quantity of earth from the cutting away of the cliff front which will have to be thrown into the sea, and which may seriously affect the entrance to the Solent and also to Poole Harbour. It is to be hoped that Parliament will prevent this mischievous scheme being carried out.—I am, Sir, ,tc.,
[We have no means of ascertaining whether our corre- spondent's fears are justified, and whether the actual scheme is really so alarming as he supposes, but all who know Bourne- mouth would deeply regret any large interference with the cliffs.—En. Spectator.]
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