WORK to secure a partner for a major redevelopment project in Poole town centre is under way.

At a cabinet meeting on Tuesday, members praised the £134m plans for a new leisure centre, bus station, hotel, and more than 400 homes in the area known as Town Centre North.

They agreed that officers working with the Regeneration Member Group should progress to the next stage of preparation to procure a development partner to bring the project forward.

The proposals feature the redevelopment of the council’s own assets, including Kingland Road car park, Seldown car park and coach park, and the Dolphin Swimming Poole site.

The borough will seek to secure agreement from Go South Coast to include the bus station and bus depot land within the redevelopment.

Earlier this year, the borough appointed Deloitte to assess the viability of different aspects of the project and deliver a masterplan.

The preferred masterplan includes proposals to provide a traffic-free public space fronting Lighthouse, with space for bars and restaurants. It also includes the option to re-locate the bus station and build a new leisure facility and hotel at the Seldown Car Park site.

Cllr Ian Potter, cabinet portfolio holder for regeneration, said the scheme was at an “early stage”.

“I would expect the current design to change quite a bit. A lot of work has taken place to get to this stage, and there’s still quite a way to go.

“It will take about a year to go through the procurement process so it’s not fast moving by any stretch.”

Cllr John Challinor said: “It’s exciting and stirring a lot of interest from people.

"It’s welcome across the whole borough. It’s a very positive move and I cannot wait until we have something a bit more concrete and detailed to show."

Cllr Mohan Iyengar added: “I also welcome this. Even though much of the detail is not known, I’m very pleased that, as a council, we’ve come out with something visionary for this part of the town centre.”

Commenting on the scheme after the cabinet meeting, John Sprackling, president elect of Branksome Park, Canford Cliffs and District Residents’ Association, said: “I support it. The area does need improving – one thing that would be great is moving the Civic Centre to the town centre as when people come to Poole, there’s no focus to the town centre.”