Boscombe’S Sovereign Centre is up for sale, but contrary to rumours, has not been bought out by a Dutch company, according to a spokesman.

However, the centre’s managing agents are going through a major change, and that appears to have provoked the speculation.

King Sturge has just merged with the American-based firm Jones Lang Lasalle, in a deal worth £197 million.

The British firm’s offices are being re-branded under the JLL name. It is not yet clear who will manage the Sovereign Centre.

Angus Reid, chairman of Boscombe Traders Association, said: “I believe a new manager is taking over the centre the end of the month.

“The staff there have been told not to talk to us at the moment.

“I’d like to see new investment in cleaning the place up and modernising it. It’s very dated.”

Lucy Thomas, from the centre’s marketing company, Frogbox, said: “We don’t know who will be the managers yet, the merger has only just happened.

“Everything is running as normal and it’s the same management team in place at the moment.

“Whether that will change in the future, I am not yet aware.”

Richard Batten, joint senior partner at King Sturge, has reportedly stressed that it is “a 50-50 merger”, and played down the risk of King Sturge agents leaving.

The Sovereign Centre is still currently up for sale, regardless of the management change.

There was speculation it had been taken over by the Dutch property investment company Wereldhave NV, which paid £85 million for Poole’s Dolphin Shopping Centre in December.

However Andrew Turton, the managing director of Wereldhave NV’s UK arm – and Lucy Thomas – said that was not correct.