What are the priorities in Poole town centre's regeneration?

However, BCP Council’s deputy leader said it is crucial the local authority avoids falling into the same pitfalls as successive previous administrations in the borough.

Cllr Philip Broadhead, portfolio holder for development, growth and regeneration, told the Daily Echo: “We are having some really high level discussions with people like Network Rail about the replacement of the crossing, replacement of the train station. However, what I am determined not to happen, which is what has happened in Poole for years, is paralysis while we wait for those answers to come.

“Successive Poole administrations have just gone ‘we didn’t like the last plan, let’s scrap it and start again’ and then over 30 years nothing happens.

“Kingland is a great example in getting some immediacy of movement.”

Kingland is the parade of 10 shops in Kingland Crescent, with hand-picked tenants who are trading without rent or rates for two years.

Landlords Legal & General, who also own the Dolphin Shopping Centre, have been behind the project, which has received international attention. Cllr Broadhead said the council was in discussion with the firm and other stakeholders over trying to find a short term solution to the Poole Bus Station issues.

“You have the short, medium and long term with Poole,” said Cllr Broadhead.

"The problem in the past is everyone has looked at long term.

"Everyone has assumed that a comprehensive redevelopment of Poole was one major project that had to fix everything in order to do it and it is just not the case.

“There is a lot of work going in on that the moment and FuturePlaces has brought that to another level. The level of conversations with not just the bus operators but regional agencies, Homes England, Network Rail, is at a level of never before. But part of it will be phasing. Making sure we are not sat here in five years’ time saying 'we couldn’t move the bus station therefore nothing has happened’.”

Discussing the overall regeneration of Poole, the senior Conservative councillor said: “Poole is a huge area of opportunity and we brought it out in our Big Plan, ‘rejuvenate Poole’ as a central aim for our administration because it needs it and it has huge amounts of potential.

“The speed that we are able to acquire the Carters Quay site and building work is starting in the spring. It has gone from a wouldn’t it be great to do that, it is next to our site, it is a stalled site to let’s buy it, let’s contract it, get it built and improve the scheme. Things like that have come out of nowhere really quickly.

“We are working with Poole Harbour Commissioners about a major marina extension. It is something they looked at a few years ago but they didn’t quite have the funds or resource to do it.

“Now it feels like exactly the right time. That has gone from starting conversation to number one priority project.”

Cllr Broadhead said Poole town centre has “three main areas”, with the commercial aspect around the Dolphin Centre, a “pretty utilitarian” middle section and the quay where the council owns a lot of property. The latter was getting the most focus at present, Cllr Broadhead said.

He said: “We are looking into everything from a whole host of new toilets along there, public realm improvements, marina extension, as well as actively regenerating through Carters Quay and the power station site.”

On the middle ‘link’ between the quay and the Dolphin Centre area, Cllr Broadhead said: “The question is how much does that need an identify of its own does and how much of it is just functional. It is the connection between the two and there are very few empty units along there.

“Is it a problem that needs fixing? Is it an identity that needs to be created? I don’t know what the answer is and that is why we are doing some work around it at the moment.”