We will deliver on the promise to rejuvenate Poole, bringing a vibrant, attractive and sustainable mix of residency, business, hospitality, retail, culture and green spaces to the heart of Poole, the Quay and the area between the two bridges, complementing the internationally-renowned Sandbanks and the beauty of the second-largest natural harbour in the world.
Our regeneration programme will rejuvenate Poole’s town centre, which has lacked serious investment for decades. This renewed focus will create a revitalised town, with an enviable design quality, public realm and respect for the environment that will attract interest from developers and investors seeking to provide modern housing and living conditions for a diverse population.
Poole has many attractions already, with heritage buildings, waterfront parks and historic quay, a covered shopping centre, a pedestrianised high street, and a major arts and performance centre, that is home to the globally acclaimed Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra. Poole Harbour is on its doorstep and Poole’s Blue Flag beaches and the beautiful Purbeck Hills can be accessed by foot and by bike.
Poole Town Centre
The regeneration programme will transform Poole’s town centre over the next five to ten years, creating new residential neighbourhoods, office space, leisure and other community facilities, and tourist attractions.
Regeneration will deliver high-quality public realm that enhances the distinctiveness of the town, respects its heritage, and promotes creativity and wellbeing.
We will work with the retail sector to reimagine the town centre to create a destination which attracts repeat visits, due to the vitality of the customer experience.
Poole High Street has also been designated a heritage action zone and BCP Council has secured funding from Historic England to support conservation-led regeneration projects. This will help to reshape and repurpose the high street and improve economic performance by attracting more people to experience the rich history of the area, as a form of a living museum, celebrating the many historic buildings and features as attractions in their own right with supporting events that animate Poole’s heritage.
The project will conserve Poole’s most important historic buildings, creating a cultural attraction for local people and visitors to enjoy.
A town to walk in
We are creating a sustainable travel network to allow people to travel easily to and around the town centre. A new pedestrian bridge will replace the high street level crossing and there is potential for an integrated transport hub.
We want to create a welcoming atmosphere, and an environment in which people can relax and exercise, by joining up the town centre to the sea, the inner harbour and boating lake, with routes which are easy to navigate on foot and provide interest and delight.
Investing in heritage
The visitor experience in Poole Park will be enhanced for local families and visitors by providing a new track and engine shed for the much-loved Poole Park Railway.
Several projects are already underway including ‘Our Museum’, which has been awarded funding by the National Lottery Heritage Fund towards the transformation of the Museum into a major attraction and community hub.
High environmental standards
BCP Council has declared a climate emergency, so we are committed to ensuring that any development project strives to achieve the highest environmental standards, reducing carbon emissions and lowering the carbon footprint. This will go a long way to help to achieve our target of becoming a carbon neutral unitary authority area by 2030.