PLANS for what could become the biggest development of its kind in the history of Poole council have moved a step closer to reality.

The ambitious £132 million Town Centre North proposals, albeit at an early stage, were backed by Borough of Poole members at full council on Tuesday evening.

Councillors agreed a raft of decisions relating to the initiative, which is hoped will ultimately boast a new bus station, more than 400 homes, modern commercial office buildings, a hotel, leisure centre and a new public realm.

While the majority of members backed moving forward, there were some councillors - including Mayor Lindsay Wilson - who criticised the decision not to recommend a 50 metre swimming pool and diving facility for the proposed leisure centre element of the project.

Lib Dem Cllr Vikki Slade said she was "delighted" and "excited" by the overall scheme, but felt "disappointed to see a lack of ambition for the swimming pool."

The councillor said inclusion of a full sized Olympic facility would have put Poole on the map and attract "huge income" to the area.

Decisions backed by full council included moving forward to procure a development partner; approval of a budget of £1.4m from existing council reserves to progress the scheme, and allocation of up to £1.5m from the authority's corporate capital contingency.

Members also agreed funds raised from land sales at Beach Road Car Park and Constitution Hill will be ploughed into Town Centre North, and that the Dolphin Swimming Pool site - and land to the north and south of Seldown Car Park - are earmarked for the development.

BOP leader Cllr Janet Walton said: "This is exciting and ambitious, we need to take steps here to move this forward."

Meanwhile, transportation cabinet member Cllr Ian Potter said: "This has been something this council has wanted to do for 20 years and this is the closest we've got to it.

"We have driven it forward with our own land. I hope everyone can support it."

Sounding a note of caution, Cllr David Brown raised the issue of the proportion of Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) money being earmarked for the scheme.

However, Cllr Mark Howell said: "This is the best example in my experience of cross party cooperation. I wish more could be done in the borough like this."

A report to council, from the borough's strategic director Kate Ryan, explained how the scheme provided an opportunity to transform the northern part of the town centre and "deliver, economic, social and community benefits."

Ms Ryan added: "It is a complex regeneration scheme of a larger scale that the Borough of Poole has delivered to date, with an estimated Gross Development Value of £132m."