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Project update - May 2026

Park and ride pilot Summer 2026

The details of this year’s park and ride pilot have now been finalised and information about the service can be found here: Park and Ride 2026 | Future Coast Bude | Let's Talk Cornwall

There are some key changes this year, based on feedback from the public:

The service will open at 8am, allowing people working in Bude to park and get to work.
The service will continue on from The Strand and will also drop and collect people from Crooklets.
Discounted block booking tickets are available to buy on the Transport for CornwallContinue reading

Park and ride pilot Summer 2026

The details of this year’s park and ride pilot have now been finalised and information about the service can be found here: Park and Ride 2026 | Future Coast Bude | Let's Talk Cornwall

There are some key changes this year, based on feedback from the public:

The service will open at 8am, allowing people working in Bude to park and get to work.
The service will continue on from The Strand and will also drop and collect people from Crooklets.
Discounted block booking tickets are available to buy on the Transport for Cornwall app.

This year the service will also be accepting concessions passes, and this means it is eligible for the ‘Kid’s Travel Free in August’ government initiative.

So many great reasons to get the bus into Bude, rather than drive!

New car park capacity signage

The eagle-eyed among you will have spotted the new sign that has been installed on the A39, before southbound traffic reaches the Hillhead roundabout.

This sign has been paid for by Future Coast Bude, and has come as a direct result of a recommendation from the Town Vision, as well as a huge amount of feedback from the public following the park and ride pilot last year.

The sign is updated once a minute and provides information on how many spaces there are available at Crooklet’s, Summerleaze and The Crescent car park. Counters have been installed in these Cornwall Council owned car parks. When the Park and Ride is running, the screen will switch over to promote the Park and Ride service.

Youth event 14 May

The Future Coast Bude Youth Board organised an event at the 2 Minute Foundation HQ open to young people aged 16-35. The event provided local people with the opportunity to find out more about the project, get involved in some arty activities, watch the films produced for the project and consider where they felt it most important to invest money from the project.

The event was attended by 18 young people who actively engaged in the discussions about what is important to them now and in the future.

More information about the event can be read here: Evening social: Future Coast Bude’s youth event | Future Coast Bude | Let's Talk Cornwall

Youth Board Mural

One of the things the Youth Board have been keen to influence has been the importance of involving art in helping to facilitate conversations with younger people.

The Youth Board is made up of a number of very talented artists, who developed a painting of the coastline in Bude. They have been asking young people to add onto the painting things that are important to them about the coastline in Bude.

It is hoped that the mural can go on display somewhere near the coast in the near future.

If you’ve got ideas of what you want written on the mural, please email them to: futurecoastbude@cornwall.gov.uk

Looking at future options for the Summerleaze lifeboat station

The lifeboat station at Summerleaze is coming under increasing pressure from sand, which causes a number of problems.

The RNLI have also trialled a boat, which may form part of their response in the future.

Future Coast Bude have commissioned consultants Dune to look at where the most suitable option would be to locate a new lifeboat station in Bude, if needed. This work will review sites from the breakwater to Crooklets and look at any constraints of locations.

Work with the Heritage Centre

The project team have been working closely with the Heritage Centre and are hoping to have a permanent display installed on the ground floor of the museum, which will allow people to explore the story map developed by the Maritime Archaeological Trust: Future Coast Bude as well as watching the videos produced by the 2 Minute Foundation: Future Coast Bude | Let's Talk Cornwall

We are currently working with a company to get a display developed. Look out for updates coming soon!

Signage

A key recommendation in the Town Vision was to improve signage in the town. Future Coast Bude has been looking at how it can do this along the coast and has met with a number of stakeholders to consider improving signage.

The team are looking at what additions can be made to the classic black and gold signs, to ensure people can find their way to key points on the coast, as well as providing information signage about how to get to different places from the coast and how long it will take.

Coastal Practitioners Conference

In mid-May, the project attended the Coastal Practitioners Conference in Weston Supermare. This brings together professionals working on the coast from across the country. There was a strong theme of adaptation throughout the conference, with communities up and down England facing similar challenges to those in Bude.

The project presented the films that have been produced as well as the concept of a Youth Board. Both things received many compliments, with lots of people wanting to learn about how the Youth Board works, and how this concept can be used in other projects.

Project update - April 2026

The project has had a very busy April with lots going on.

Educational films launched
Four films, developed in partnership with the 2 Minute Foundation, have made their premiere at the recent Community Conversation events. The films cover a range of topics from erosion to coastal defences and how we plan for the future. We have been overwhelmed with positive feedback about the films and would really encourage you to watch them. They are between 4 and 5 minutes long and can be accessed from the homepage of the website: Future Coast Bude | Let's Talk Cornwall

Interactive map
The

The project has had a very busy April with lots going on.

Educational films launched Four films, developed in partnership with the 2 Minute Foundation, have made their premiere at the recent Community Conversation events. The films cover a range of topics from erosion to coastal defences and how we plan for the future. We have been overwhelmed with positive feedback about the films and would really encourage you to watch them. They are between 4 and 5 minutes long and can be accessed from the homepage of the website: Future Coast Bude \| Let's Talk Cornwall
	Interactive map The Maritime Archaeological Trust have finished developing the 'Story map' for Bude. This interactive tool allows you to explore the coastline and look through hundreds of photos, paintings, maps and charts as well as archaeological data in one place. This tool was also launched at our Community Conversation events and is available on our website for you to explore: Future Coast Bude
Quick guides We have also developed ten topic papers which allow you to read about key information related to the project. These short guides explain some of the key processes shaping the coastline, helping to build a clearer understanding of the challenges and changes taking place. Topics include Sea Level Rise, Tide Locking and the Shoreline Management Plan. We also have short guides to changes that have been experienced in different locations, such as the sea pool, the dunes and the river. These can be accessed from the homepage of the website: Future Coast Bude \| Let's Talk Cornwall
	Community Conversation event - Thursday 23 April We were overwhelmed with the interest in the project from the local community, with 100 people attending our first Community Conversation event, held in the Ivor Potter Hall. As well as accessing the resources above, the community were also able to explore Coastcraft (a version of the computer game Minecraft, set in Bude), learn more about what the project has delivered so far and find out more about getting involved in planning for the future. The event was supported by the project's Youth Board.
Community Conversation event - Saturday 9 May The second Community Conversation event allowed people to provide their feedback on what their priorities are for which projects they would like Future Coast Bude to deliver. Displays provided information about proposed projects for the coast path between Crooklets and the sea pool, the over flow car park at Crooklets, toilets at Crooklets and Summerleaze and beach huts. Over 70 people came along to provide their feedback. To have your say on these options, you can fill out this survey: Future Coast Bude Project Funding - Have Your Say \| Let's Talk Cornwall The deadline for the survey is midnight on Thursday 28^th May 2026 . After this, the Youth Board will be analysing the data, and then the proposals will be discussed with the organisation that owns or runs that facility. The deadline for delivering any projects is the end of March 2027.
	Sand recycling Work to move some of the wind-blown sand on Summerleaze car park onto the front of the dune started on Monday 30 March and was completed before the Easter weekend. This is a Cornwall Council Car Parking Services project, which Future Coast Bude have helped to facilitate. The work ensured that the sand remained within the dune, whilst buying time to come up with a plan for the future as part of the Coastal Vision. Work was undertaken by a local contractor, who had to work carefully to ensure that the RNLI's trial lifeboat, which is bigger than the existing lifeboat, was still able to access the beach safely. You can read more about sand recycling here: Future Coast Bude \| Let's Talk Cornwall
Dune stabilisation Following the work to move sand to the front of the dune at Summerleaze, work has been done to try and reduce the amount of sand that blows back into the car park. Hay bales have been used to secure sand in place and marram grass has been planted. Over time, the roots should help to stabilise the dune, reducing the amount of sand blowing into the car park. Bude Dunes Group, Cornwall Council, the Environment Agency and the 2 Minute Foundation beach school were all involved in work to the dunes at Summerleaze.
	Launch of coast snaps sites and two new benches Two new 'Coast snaps site', which can be used to monitor movement of the sand dune, whre opened by Deputy Mayor, Cllr Herbert Coulson. She also opened two new benches, made using the granite setts that were unearthed during the sand rails access way work. Both the coast snaps cradles and the benches are located along the canal, between the Castle and the lock. You can read more about this event here: New coastal additions bring science, heritage and community together along Bude canal \| Future Coast Bude \| Let's Talk Cornwall
Youth board training with Akumen The Youth Board were lucky enough to be offered training from local company, Akumen. Akumen, are a global company based in Bude and ran some fantastic training for the group on data analytics. This will be incredibly helpful for the Youth Board to support their work in helping the project review the outputs of Community Conversation events. You can read more about the Akumen training here: Youth Board receive training from local company Akumen \| Future Coast Bude \| Let's Talk Cornwall
	Upcoming event - Community Conversation for young people aged 16-35 The Youth Board are hosting their own event on Thursday 14 May from 6-9pm at the 2 Minute Foundation HQ (old pitch and putt building). This event will involve a mix of creative activities, walk, food and an interactive discussion about the project. It provides a safe space for young people to express their views about the future and help shape what Future Coast Bude will deliver.
Movement of sand from lock gates Sand has been moved from in front of the lock gates to allow them to be operational again. Future Coast Bude has supported this project by paying for an ecology survey to help understand the impact of sand being put back onto the moorings; this keeps the sand in the local ecosystem. Ascent for this work has been granted for this year, and it is hoped that Natural England will allow this to continue in the future.

Project update - March 2026

Coastal Vision

Taking into account feedback from the survey and working with the Youth Board, the project team have been planning for Community Conversation events.

The first of these will be taking place on Thursday 23 April from 4-7pm in the Ivor Potter Hall at the Parkhouse Centre. This first session will:

Give you a chance to come and explore the history of the coast in Bude, using the Maritime Archaeological Trust’s story map.
Watch the Premiere of the films produced by the 2 Minute Foundation.
Find out more about the Future Coast Bude project and what we have beenContinue reading

Coastal Vision Taking into account feedback from the survey and working with the Youth Board, the project team have been planning for Community Conversation events. The first of these will be taking place on Thursday 23 April from 4-7pm in the Ivor Potter Hall at the Parkhouse Centre. This first session will: Give you a chance to come and explore the history of the coast in Bude, using the Maritime Archaeological Trust’s story map. Watch the Premiere of the films produced by the 2 Minute Foundation. Find out more about the Future Coast Bude project and what we have been working on. Learn about how we want to work with you to plan for the future. Look out for more information about the events, coming soon.
	2 Minute Foundation Films At the Community Conversation event on 23 April, you will be able to watch films about: How the same storms are causing bigger problems How the coast naturally responds Defences, trade offs and coastal squeeze Adaptation planning and the future Look out for a trailer for the films coming out very soon.

The Youth Board The Youth Board have now completed their training and are fully involved in the project. They are: Helping us deliver the Community Conversation events. Developing ideas for getting younger people involved in the conversation about the future of the coast in Bude. You can read more about the Youth Board here: Future Coast Bude \| Let's Talk Cornwall
	Sand recycling Work to move some of the wind-blown sand on Summerleaze car park onto the front of the dune started on Monday 30 March. This is a Cornwall Council Car Parking Services project, which Future Coast Bude have helped to facilitate. The work is being done to ensure the sand remains within the dune, whilst buying time to come up with a plan for the future as part of the Coastal Vision. The project is also working closely with the RNLI and Dunes Group to try and make adjustments to the southern access route. Work will be undertaken by the Dunes Group and other volunteers from April, to try and stabilise parts of the dune to reduce the amount of sand that is blown into the car park. You can read more about sand recycling here: Future Coast Bude \| Let's Talk Cornwall

Project update - February 2026

Shaping Bude’s Coast Together – survey responses

A huge thank you to everybody who completed the survey. This was designed so the project team could better understand what is most important to the community about the coast in Bude, and will be used to shape our future engagement.

Over 250 responses were received – a response rate of 2.8%.

The survey shows a consistent and urgent need for far better communication, education, and public understanding around coastal change and adaptation.

Most respondents felt ill‑informed, uncertain, or unaware of what is happening, despite strong concern about erosion, flooding, and future risks.

Shaping Bude’s Coast Together – survey responses

Over 250 responses were received – a response rate of 2.8%.

The survey shows a consistent and urgent need for far better communication, education, and public understanding around coastal change and adaptation.

Most respondents felt ill‑informed, uncertain, or unaware of what is happening, despite strong concern about erosion, flooding, and future risks.

A full survey report will be shared in March.

Based on the findings of the survey, it is clear to the project team that we need to be able to work with the community to provide better information about coastal change and adaptation. We have been working on a number of key tools which will help us to have this conversation (see below for updates on the story map and films).

Shaping Bude’s Coast Together – competition winners

Congratulations to the prize winners, who were drawn at random, by the Mayor of Bude, Mike Dawes.

Winners are:

First prize: Megan Ross

Second prize: Pippa John

Third prize: Jill Haines

All prize winners received vouchers for local Bude businesses (Electric Bakery, The Refill Shop and Wild Wood). Megan and Pippa were presented with their vouchers by the Mayor of Bude.

2 Minute Foundation films

Four short films on the following topics are being filmed and will be ready to share in March:

Why the same storms are causing bigger problems?
Is erosion always bad – or is it just misunderstood?
Do sea wall actually make the problem worse?
How we plan for a coastline that won’t stay still.

We can't wait to share these with you very soon!

Maritime Archaeological Trust Story Map

The Maritime Archaeological Trust have been progressing well with their work to bring together all the available evidence about what the coastline in Bude looked like in the past.

The first draft of the tool that they have produced was shared with the Critical Friends group and, once updated with their feedback, will be available to share publicly very soon! We are working with the team at The Castle to see if we can have it on display there, as well as looking at other opportunities to share with the community in Bude Do get in touch if you have some ideas on groups that might be interested (futurecoastbude@cornwall.gov.uk).

Youth Board: a group of residents aged 16-30

18 applications to be part of the Youth Board have been received. All those who applied have been successful in securing a place.

The group will meet for the first time at the beginning of March to find out more about the project, then there will be 2 training weekends.

The first will be led by 2 Minute Foundation and will be based around the films that they have produced. This will help the group feel confident about coastal processes.

The second weekend will be led by Charity ‘Voice’ who will provide training on how to plan and deliver events, data analysis, report writing and how to be an ambassador for a project.

The group will then:

Be paid to help with wider community engagement events that they get involved in.
Help the project reach a younger audience, to ensure the voices of those most impacted by coastal change are represented as part of the project.

Sand recycling and reducing wind-blown sand – Summerleaze car park

Work to move sand from the car park onto the front of the dune is planned to start week commencing 23 March and is likely to take a couple of weeks. Parts of the car park will be fenced off to enable this work to be done safely.

Plans to re-align the path through the dunes have been modified, to take into account the exciting discovery of lizards (a protected species) in the dune. As much work as can be done to reduce the amount of sand blowing onto the car park will still take place, without causing any disturbance to the lizard’s habitat.

Summerleaze Beach urgent health and safety repairs – undertaken by Cornwall Council

Work will be taking place throughout the beginning of March to remove and repair damaged wire baskets that help keep the river in place. This work is being done by Cornwall Council. The longer-term future of these wire baskets at Summerleaze is being considered as part of the project.

More information about this work can be found here: Urgent health and safety repairs.

Beach huts

Beach hut user drop-in sessions were run in February half term and were well attended. These were invitation only events for people who rent a beach hut.

The project team worked with representatives from the Bude Area Tourist Board to talk to the beach hut users about a range of topics. Key learning included:

The diverse reasons why people have a hut - some for the social side, some for the opposite (for peace and quiet) and everything in between!
Most attendees were in favour of future huts being constructed from more durable composite material which would be much lower-maintenance and have a longer life.
Most attendees were not keen to construct their own huts on a plot, but were concerned about the need for maintenance and investment now.
The importance of proximity to the beach and the view are key - potential sites for beach huts further from the sea were not popular.

Overall, all attendees were in agreement that the Beach Huts are a vital part of the character of Bude’s beaches and should be part of any investment and planning for the future of Bude’s coastline.

Work to repair the damaged boardwalk with beach huts on at Summerleaze is expected to be undertaken in March.

Work with Cormac

Cormac, part of Cornwall Council, is continuing work to look at what would be required to relocated public assets away from vulnerable locations at the coast. A drone survey has been undertaken to better understand which parts of the cliffs are most vulnerable, and ground investigation works are planned to understand more about future locations for the coast path and future parking options.

Cormac are currently working to try and determine what work will require planning permission and what work could be delivered within the time frame of the project (before April 2027).

January 2026 project update

Shaping Bude’s Coast Together – Survey (closes 8 February)

Over 9,100 postcards have been sent to households across Bude inviting people to share their views on the future of the coastline. Support sessions have been offered at Berries Community Café, the Library, the Pearl Exchange, and The Hub at the Sea Pool. Over 220 people have responded so far, with current themes including clean water and pollution control, protecting natural features and coastal ecosystems and managing coastal erosion and flood risk. The feedback will help design community workshops at the end of April, which will contribute to a Coastal VisionContinue reading

Shaping Bude’s Coast Together – Survey (closes 8 February) Over 9,100 postcards have been sent to households across Bude inviting people to share their views on the future of the coastline. Support sessions have been offered at Berries Community Café, the Library, the Pearl Exchange, and The Hub at the Sea Pool. Over 220 people have responded so far, with current themes including clean water and pollution control, protecting natural features and coastal ecosystems and managing coastal erosion and flood risk. The feedback will help design community workshops at the end of April, which will contribute to a Coastal Vision for Bude. Take the survey here: Shaping Bude's Coast Together \| Let's Talk Cornwall
	Youth Board – Applications (deadline extended to 23 February) Young people aged 16–30 can join a Youth Board to help run workshops, review the results, and contribute to the Coastal Vision. Members will receive training to support them in this work and gift vouchers to thank them for their time. The Youth Board launched on 19 January and has been promoted at Budehaven Sixth Form, the Pearl Exchange, the Job Centre, and Berries Community Café. Read more here: Future Coast Bude Youth Board: A board for young resident aged 16-30 - recruitment open! \| Future Coast Bude \| Let's Talk Cornwall Apply here: Future Coast Youth Board: A board for young residents aged 16-30 Application form \| Let's Talk Cornwall
Sand Recycling & Reducing Wind-Blown Sand – Summerleaze Car Park The project team has brought together everyone involved with Summerleaze car park and agreed that some of the wind-blown sand will be removed in March. Read more here: Wind blown sand on Summerleaze car park - we are listening \| Future Coast Bude \| Let's Talk Cornwall We have also been working closely with the RNLI and Bude Dunes Group and will be moving the RNLI access way through the dunes to a different angle in March. This should reduce the amount of sand blowing into the car park. Read more here: Summerleaze Sand Recycling & Dune Care Plan (2026–2027) – January 2026 update \| Future Coast Bude \| Let's Talk Cornwall
	Bude Park and Ride – Pilot Phase 2 Go Cornwall has been appointed to run a second park and ride pilot over summer 2026. Following feedback from last year, the service will start at 8am, run until 6pm, and include a stop at Crooklets. More details will be shared soon.
Beach Huts Bude Area Tourist Board is working with beach hut tenants and Cornwall Council on a Beach Hut Management Plan. This looks at the condition of existing huts, how they are used, and which are most at risk from coastal erosion. Future options for relocating huts will be discussed with tenants at events in February. Increasing the provision of accessible huts is also a priority.
	Work with the Maritime Archaeological Trust (MAT) MAT is collecting all available evidence - photos, paintings, maps, charts, and soil information to show what Bude’s coastline looked like in the past. This resource will be ready to share publicly by April.
2 Minute Foundation The project team has prepared short topic papers to explain some coastal processes. 2 Minute Foundation will turn these into four 2-minute films, ready to share in March. 2 Minute Foundation also continues to work with young people in schools and at home, helping them understand how coastal erosion and sea-level rise could affect Bude.
	Work with the RNLI The project team is helping the RNLI to consider future options for moving their lifeboat station at Summerleaze when the current site can no longer function effectively. For context, it took 20 years from deciding the previous station was unsuitable to opening the current one, so it is important to start planning early.
Work with Cormac Cormac, part of Cornwall Council, is looking at increasing the capacity of the Crooklets overflow car park, future options for toilets at Summerleaze and Crooklets, moving beach huts, and relocating the coast path further inland. The public will be consulted on these options at events in April 2026.
	Cables at Crooklets Meetings have taken place with Vodafone, Google and BT Group about the cables that come onshore at Crooklets. These cables may be affected by the lowering beach level due to coastal change. The project team will present at the European Subsea Cable Association conference in March to raise awareness and involve cable providers in future planning.
Conferences The project team has run a workshop at the Flood and Coastal Innovation Programme Winter Conference in Hull and presented at the Coastal Futures Conference in London to share Bude’s work.