In October 2025, BCP Council’s Cabinet approved the Residents Card scheme.
A council report to the cabinet indicates that an “administrative charge of between £5 and £10 will be applied to the card” which will contribute to the delivery cost of the scheme. The report also shows that a “£193,000 total budget has been identified for year one”.
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It has now been announced that the Residents card, which is launching this summer, will be known as ‘BCP LIFE.’ The card has been designed and named to reflect local life in Bournemouth, Christchurch, and Poole, with graphics that are bold and welcoming, with icons that represent the small everyday perks available from day one.
These perks include an hour of free parking with any purchased session after 9.30am at select Council-owned car parks, cheaper hot drinks at BCP-run cafés, savings on ice creams at the seafront and one free swim a month at BCP-owned leisure centres.
Councilor Millie Earl, Leader of BCP Council, said: “At BCP Council, we know how important it is to make everyday life a little easier for the people who live here. That’s why we’re excited to share the name and design of the card with our residents today.
‘BCP LIFE’ is a simple way to recognise and support those who are proud to call Bournemouth, Christchurch, and Poole home.
“By putting those residents first, we will be able to protect incomes at the same time as supporting local businesses. The introduction of free swimming ensures everyone has access to facilities that will boost their health and wellbeing, whilst a free hour of parking means our residents will be able to spend more time enjoying everything our three towns have to offer.”
The council is still working to finalise the systems and processes required for the card to operate when it goes live in the summer.
Full details on how people can sign up to ‘BCP LIFE’ will be shared in the coming months.